Love, Everlasting
by Yami Yue
Summary: A mission from Koemna begins the uncovering of a past connection Kurama and Hiei would have never dreamed they had. A Hiei & Kurama Fic. Yaoi -Revised with New Chapter-
1. Prolouge

I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho all the characters belong to Yoshihiro Togashi.

Love, Everlasting

Part 1: Haunted by the Past

By Yami Yue

Prologue

I stared out the window as Mukuro's mobile fortress moved through the plains. Soon it would stop and I would be released from my border patrol duties. I wasn't sure what I would do with my newfound freedom. Things I knew that I was skilled with such as thievery and fighting had the potential for leading into a run in with Spirit world and possibly imprisonment or another lengthy parole, both I'd rather avoid.

I felt very strongly there was something I needed to do. I had no idea what that _something _was, but I had a feeling that I would find out soon enough. I just hoped that whatever it was, it would be good. The last thing I needed was more pain in my life.

"Now that you're free are you going to visit Kurama? I bet he misses you," Mukuro inquired, breaking into my thoughts. I had to admit that wasn't a bad idea. I hadn't seen the fox since Yusuke left the Makai and reunited with Keiko. I missed Kurama a great deal. He'd even been in the Makai a few times. I sensed him but I never sought him out. I regretted that now. At the very least I could have shown him that I was alive and well. "I should. It has been years since we last saw one another," I agreed.

I know it wouldn't have killed me to at least say hello to Kurama during one of his visits to the Makai. However, there was a reason that I had never sought out the fox. Over the years, I'd come to realize something that at first frightened me. I had fallen in love with Kurama. My best friend, my ally, my brother in arms had become the star of my fantasies and daydreams, the one I wished to claim as my own, and the one I wished would have me as his. I never sought him out when he visited the Makai because I was afraid that if I did, somehow he would discover what I felt for him.

I had no reason to believe that he felt the same as I. What would he see in me? I had nothing to offer him. I wasn't as handsome as he, nor was I any better at fighting or thievery than he was. I had never taken a lover either, so when it came to that department I was very much a novice. I wasn't even sure if he would welcome a male's advances. I did not think Kurama would be receptive to my advances and so I decided not to tell him how I felt.

"You should tell him how you feel," Mukuro continued, as though she had been reading my thoughts. " Why? So that he can reject me?" I replied. I was sure that if I did tell Kurama how I felt I would be rejected and no matter how gently he did it, it would still hurt. Worse yet, it could end our friendship and that was something I wanted to avoid, even if it meant that I never got to have him as more than a friend. "He may surprise you," Mukuro responded. "If you never tell him how you feel, how will you know if he feels the same or not? If you keep your mouth shut too long someone else may steal his heart when you may already have it. Then you will regret your silence and you will have to live with seeing him with someone else," she continued. She had a good point. Besides, there was no harm in visiting the fox. I just hoped he was not angry with me for not seeing or speaking to him in so long. Kurama's wrath was not something I wanted to face.

The fortress slowed to a halt and I rose, resting the strap of my bag on my shoulder. Mukuro stood as well and hugged me. "Think about what I said Hiei," she said softly into my ear before releasing me from her embrace and sitting down again. The others all said their goodbyes as I passed them on my way to the exit. It felt strange knowing I would no longer be among them, nonetheless I looked forward to starting over again. It was a chance for me to have a new life, one I gladly welcomed.

I watched the fortress rumble away. As it faded into the distance I decided to take Mukuro's advice and see Kurama, and if the fox showed any indication of feeling the same way as I, maybe I would confess my feelings. For the time being, I would have to be content with his friendship and hope for the best.

As I headed toward the human world I hoped the fox still considered us friends. After all, I hadn't seen or spoken to him in years. I cloaked my energy as I crossed the border into the human world. Immediately I searched for Kurama's energy and followed it. To my surprise, I found myself in front of an apartment building. I entered the building and looked at the list of names, quickly scanning it for Kurama's human name. He was listed. I did not look at the number, but continued following Kurama's energy to one of the apartments. I felt my stomach fluttering as I stood in front of the door. I took a deep breath and knocked.

A moment later the door opened revealing Kurama. His green eyes widened in surprise. "Hiei," he said. "Hello, Kurama," I said softly. He moved aside so that I could enter. "I see you moved," I said. "I moved after I graduated from high school," he informed me. I looked around the room. It was tastefully furnished. There were photographs adorning the walls most were of us with Yusuke and Kuwabara, others were of his human family

The fox had changed a bit. Gone was the thin lanky teenage form he had possessed. Kurama had developed a masculine body like that of his true form. He was even more irresistible than before. With his good looks and a body like that I doubted he was still single.

The sound of a baby crying assaulted my ears. Kurama started at the sound. " I'll be right back," he said. He headed out of the room and a few moments later the crying stopped. He returned a few minutes later holding an infant. "Look Kimi, your uncle Hiei came to visit," he said. "Here, hold her for a moment while I get her bottle," he requested as he transferred the baby into my arms He made sure she was secure in my arms then went into the kitchen.

I looked down at the tiny being in my arms. She was cute, with a head full of jet black hair. As I wondered who the child's mother was, Sadness washed over me. Mukuro was right. Someone already had the fox's heart. I had missed my chance. I didn't realize it would hurt so much to know he was with someone else when I wanted him myself. "You didn't want to risk your friendship with him by telling him how you felt. This is the price you must pay," I reminded myself.

Kurama returned a short while later with a bottle in hand. He smiled warmly. "You're a natural Hiei, have you ever considered having any children of your own?" he asked. "No, I replied. "You?" I inquired. "I came close to having a family once," he said softly. His eyes clouded with sorrow. Had the child's mother not survived the birth? I wanted desperately to ask but did not want to cause him further grief. I hated to see him so sad.

He gently took the child from my arms. "Uncle Kurama will just have to be content with babysitting you, won't he Kimi?" he cooed "Yusuke and Keiko will have to bring you by more often," he said as he offered the bottle to her. I was relieved. The babe wasn't his at all. She was Yusuke and Keiko's child. I watched in fascination as the child nursed from the bottle. Truth be told I wasn't sure what to think. I was glad that the baby wasn't his and hoped that there was still a chance that I could win his heart, but I did not want to risk our friendship either.

"Do you still want a family?" I asked. "If there were someone I could have a family with, I would gladly take the chance," he answered. "What about you?" he asked. "Assuming that someone wanted me as their mate, I wouldn't be adverse to the idea," I answered. "Don't be silly Hiei, you'd make someone a wonderful mate. You're loyal, courageous, protective, not to mention handsome and intelligent," he admonished. I felt my cheeks grow warm and I knew I was blushing. "You flatter me fox," I said. Kurama smiled. "When said with sincerity and in truth it isn't difficult," he said.

I wasn't sure if he was flirting with me or just being playful .I didn't mind either way, but if he was flirting with me, perhaps his interest wasn't solely directed toward females. Could he be interested in me? If so, I hoped it was a genuine interest in me and not because he wanted a lover to sate his desires.

"I'd better get this little one back to Yusuke and Keiko," he said as he burped the baby. "They live just downstairs, would you like to go with me?" he asked. "I'll wait here," I said. "Alright then, I'll be back shortly," He said. Kurama picked up a baby bag by the door and left the apartment.

I took a look around the apartment. It was a simple one bedroom one bath with a kitchen and a living room. I did not see any pictures of those I did not recognize, only those of us with the rest of our assorted group and his family. No pictures of a girlfriend or boyfriend or wedding photos. I was a bit surprised. With his looks, I didn't think the fox would still be single. Perhaps he had found someone in the Makai. He may not have thought it wise to court a human or even take one as a lover, but a demon was another matter altogether. I wasn't going so far as to snoop through his closets or anything to find out if he was seeing anyone. He seemed to still be my friend and I wanted to keep it that way. Instead, I turned on the tv and began flipping through the stations hoping to find something that was at least mildly interesting.

Kurama returned a short while later. He looked rather glad to see that I was still present. I took that as a good sign. "Are you hungry?" he asked. "If you're going to eat, I'll eat with you," I replied. Even if I wasn't hungry I wouldn't turn down the fox's offer of food. He was a good cook.

I followed him into the kitchen to help. "How long are you going to stay?" he asked. "I don't know yet," I replied. "I'm not on border patrol anymore, now that the tournament has begun again," I informed him. "Are you participating this time?" he asked. "No, I have no desire to be the king of the Makai," I answered. He raised a slender red eyebrow in surprise. I smirked at his surprise. "I don't want to be tied down like that. Power that great takes your freedom," I told him. Kurama smiled. "That's very true," he agreed. "I'm glad you came, I missed talking with you," he confessed. I sighed. "I'm sorry I didn't write to you or anything, but I didn't know what to say. Nothing I thought of sounded right," I said. He smiled. "I seemed to have that problem as well," he responded. So, he wasn't angry with me at all. That was one fear put to rest at least. "You'll stay awhile I hope," he said. I nodded. Kurama's smile became radiant, and I was glad to be the one to cause him to smile like that.

As I helped Kurama prepare the evening meal, he filled me in on what had happened while I was gone. Yusuke and Keiko had eloped two years after Yusuke returned from the Makai. The detective had studied hard and had passed the test to get his high school diploma. Kuwabara had graduated high school and was currently studying at one of the local colleges in hopes of becoming an animal doctor.

As we sat down to eat I relayed what had happened to me during the time we were apart. Kurama did the same and I noticed that he did not mention having a lover or that he was seeing anyone. I was curious as to why, but did not ask. Mukuro's suggestion that I visit Kurama had been a good one. Just as she predicted, he had been glad to see me. It remained to be seen if her other advice would prove to be as good.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Chapter One

I stood against the wall with my arms crossed over my chest. Kurama sat in one of the plush chairs with his legs crossed and his hands patiently folded in his lap. How the fox could have such patience is beyond me. I, on the other hand was ready to be gone from this place before we'd even arrived. We'd already been waiting an half an hour and I had grown weary of waiting to see what mission we'd been called in on. Koemna was sitting at his desk with a thick file in front of him. As usual, one side of the desk was covered in papers stacked high. It was he that had called us here in hopes that we would go on a mission for him as a favor. Yusuke and Kuwabara were late as usual and I wondered why Kurama and I even bothered to be on time.

The detective and the oaf entered Koemna's office and all eyes turned to them. "You're late," Koemna said. "I wouldn't have been if you hadn't called in our regular babysitter. I ended up asking Yukina to babysit Kimi while Keiko's at work, and it took this idiot a half hour just to say goodbye to Yukina," Yusuke responded jabbing his thumb at Kuwabara. I bristled at the mention of the oaf with my sister, but said nothing. She was free to choose whomever she wished, if she wanted Kuwabara as a boyfriend or even her mate I could not interfere, no matter how much the oaf irks me.

Kuwabara opened his mouth to protest but stopped and turned his gaze solely on me. His eyes widened in shock. "Hiei?" he cried in surprise. "Glad to see your sixth sense hasn't dulled over the years," I replied. "Good to see you man," Yusuke said. "Yeah," Kuwabara agreed, still clearly shocked at seeing me again.

Koemna cleared his throat, getting the group's attention. "I called you all here today because I haven't anyone else to send that I could trust this mission to. I'm asking you as a friend to investigate something as a favor to me," he informed us. "What is it you'd like us to investigate?" Kurama asked. "There's been a mass disappearance in a small village in the eastern region of the Makai," Koemna answered and turned his chair toward the large screen that was lowering itself. A map of the Makai flashed momentarily upon the screen and then began to zoom in on a forested region in the east. A glowing red dot was on the screen.

"This is the village of Kiyoshi, one of the seven tribal fox demon villages. This morning, I received a report of numerous male fox demons vanishing from there. I don't have an exact number, but they were all young adults to middle aged adults. It seems the females, children and elderly are unaffected so far," Koemna informed us."I would like you to go there and find out what happened to them," he requested. The young god looked at each of us hopefully.

"Keiko's not going to like this, but I'll go," Yusuke agreed. "School's out for summer break so I'm free," Kuwabara agreed. I glanced at Kurama. If he were willing than so was I. However, he didn't look like he would agree to go. "If only the males are being affected then perhaps it would be unwise for me to go," Kurama said. "What has happened to them may also affect me as well, especially if the young adults are being affected. In terms of age that is what I would be considered there," he added. "Come on Kurama, it wouldn't be the same without you. Besides we wouldn't let anything happen to you. Right Hiei?" Yusuke protested. I gave a slight nod, though I felt that a reply wasn't really needed. Kurama knew that I would protect him as much as I could. Didn't he?

"Kurama, Yusuke and Kuwabara wouldn't get near the village without you. That is why I called you here," Koemna pleaded. "You know as well as I that the fox demons will not trust anyone not of their own kind enough to let them in to their villages," he continued. "They only way they would trust any of the others is if you were with them," Koemna pleaded. Kurama sighed. "There isn't any way around it then. You won't need to send all four of us if Hiei will accompany me we will be enough," he reluctantly agreed. "I'd feel better if all four of you went. Yusuke and Kuwabara can assist Hiei if you are affected by whatever is going on there," Koemna said. The fox looked at me, his green eyes were pleading. I gave a slight nod in agreement. If Kurama was that concerned about this mission then I would feel better if Yusuke, Kuwabara and I were with him as well.

"Now that it's all settled I'll get you a map and you can be on your way," Koemna said as he pulled four rectangular silver colored devices from his desk drawer. "These are your new communicators. If you wish to speak to any of the other members of your team just press the corresponding numbered button assigned to that member. When you get an incoming communication the device will alert you, just press the button in the center there to receive it. Each one has a tracking device in it so you can find one another as long as each of you has his device on him at all times. There's also an electronic map as well. The device is programmed to walk you through using those features," Koemna informed us. "And if we wish to contact you?" Kurama inquired. "Press the button in the center when no one is trying to contact you. Either Botan or I will answer," Koemna answered. Kurama nodded. He then informed us of which button corresponded with which member of the team and how to use the tracking device at Kurama's request. "Any other questions?" Koemna asked once he was through explaining those two issues. "Yeah, how do you turn it on?" Kuwabara asked. I picked mine up from the desk and glanced at it. "Press the button on the top," I told him as I picked up Kurama's as well and handed it to the fox. "Oh, right. Thanks," Kuwabara replied. Inwardly, I sighed. Some things never changed.

We left Koemna's office and split up to go home and pack for the trip. Kurama did not look at all happy about this latest mission. He did not speak a word as we returned to his apartment to pack for the trip. He remained silent as he packed. His face were tense, his eyes were a storm of emotion. There was something bothering him and I doubted it was simply the fact that he could share the fate of those who had vanished from Kiyoshi. He was genuinely dreading the trip and I wondered why. I had a feeling that whatever was bothering Kurama was important. I decided to see if he would tell me or at least give me some sort of clue to what it might be.

"The possibility that you might be affected by whatever's going on in that village isn't the only thing bothering you is it?" I asked him. He gave me a faint smile. "Is it that obvious I'm bothered by something?" he responded. "To me it is," I answered. "You're right. I really don't want to go to Kiyoshi. I'll have to face too many memories that I'd rather forget," he confessed. "I will be there with you," I told him. "And for that I am glad," he replied. A thin smile crossed his lips for a moment, then it was gone, replaced with a look of genuine frustration. "I vowed to myself that I would not set foot there again," he sighed. "Whatever memories you will have to face must be painful for you to make that vow," I said. "It isn't the memories themselves that are the most painful but the sense of loss and longing they bring with them," Kurama replied. Curious as to what he meant, I raised my eyebrow in silent question. He did not answer it, but continued his task. I let the matter drop for the moment. If Kurama wanted me to know he would tell me when he was ready. In the meantime I would do what I could to ease his pain.

I left him to his packing and went to my own bag that was already packed for the trip to the human world. I opened the bag and pulled out a sheathed dagger. I turned to face Kurama (who had stopped what he was doing to look at me curiously) and showed it to him. Kurama took the dagger carefully from my hand and unsheathed it. His eyes widened. "This is very nice. It's well crafted, and beautifully designed," he said, his eyes glued to the hilt, which was a dragon with it's wings unfurled, it's talons clutching the blade. "It's more than nice, it's exquisite," he murmured "Where did you get such a blade?" he asked. "I made it," I answered. Kurama's eyes widened more than I thought possible. "You have quite a talent," he said as he sheathed it and held it out to me. I took it from him and attached it to his belt. "Thank you," he said, stunned that I had given it to him. I didn't dare tell him that I had him in mind when I made it. I was pleased that he liked my gift and decided I would have to forge him a sword as well one day. It would serve him well should his energy not be enough against a foe. "You're welcome Fox," I replied.

An hour later we met up with Yusuke and Kuwabara and crossed the border from the living world of the humans to the Makai, the world of the demons and apparitions. Yusuke took his communicator from his pocket and frowned at the device in his hand as he turned it on. "We should have tried this thing out before we got here," he said. "I don't like trying to figure out how to use the map on this thing when I need to watch my back," "Don't worry Urameshi, we've got your back," Kuwabara assured him. "Besides, it isn't necessary to use the map this time Yusuke. I know the way," Kurama added. "Great, then lead on fox boy," Yusuke replied as he put his communicator back in his pocket.

"Hey Kurama, what did Koemna mean when he said that the place we're going to is a tribal village?" Kuwabara asked. "Each village is made up of a tribe or clan as we like to call them. In fact, we don't even call them villages we call them clans," Kurama answered. "Do all fox demons live in one of those villages?" Kuwabara questioned. "All of us come from one of the seven clans Kuwabara. Not all of us choose to stay with our clans but most do. Then there are those who are banished and are no longer part of any clan. They usually do not live long, the forest can be very vindictive against those who have betrayed their clans and if the forest doesn't claim them, one of us will," Kurama informed him. "Koemna said there were only seven, is that true?" Kuwabara inquired. Kurama nodded. "Why is that ?" Yusuke asked. "It's been that way since anyone can remember. I was told as a kit that we have seven clans because our patron deity Inari, has seven tails," Kurama replied.

Yusuke and Kuwabara fell silent. I fell into step beside Kurama with Yusuke and Kuwabara behind us. I knew the silence wasn't going to last long. Sooner or later one of them would have another question for Kurama. I hoped it would be later. Sadness was evident in Kurama's eyes and the questioning from the other two members of the group wasn't helping.

I wasn't surprised that it was Kuwabara who broke the silence sometime later. I nearly glared at him, but decided against it. It would just start a senseless round of bickering that I wasn't in the mood for at the moment. "Which tribe are you from?" Kuwabara asked Kurama. "To be honest Kuwabara, I haven't been part of my clan since after I reached adulthood, so I don't feel I have a right to say," Kurama replied. "You weren't banished were you?" Kuwabara questioned. "No, but I've been gone so long it wouldn't surprise me if they no longer claimed me as one of their own," Kurama told him.

All this talk about his people was weighing heavily on Kurama. The sadness I had seen in his eyes, I now heard in his voice. I glanced back at Kuwabara. He must have realized it too for he had opened his mouth to ask another question but quickly closed it, looking a little worried. "I'm sorry if this is bringing you down Kurama. I was just thinking that I've known you all this time and I don't know anything about your past as a fox demon at all, other than that you were a thief," Kuwabara said. "It's alright, Kuwabara. I know you are just curious. Perhaps another time I can indulge that curiosity," Kurama replied. "Ok," Kuwabara agreed. "Is there anything we should know about for when we get there? You know customs, how to act, that kind of thing?" he asked. Kurama gave him a smile. "Just follow my lead and do as I say, you'll be fine," he assured the carrot top.

Kuwabara turned his attention to Yusuke so I gently touched Kurama's arm, quickly getting his attention. "If you know of a good place to set up camp we'd better do so in a while. The sun is getting low," I told him. Kurama nodded. "If you wish to talk about what's bothering you I will listen," I added telepathically, surprising him for the second time that day. He gave me another wan smile and a slight nod of thanks. I didn't know if he would take me up on the offer, but I had made it nonetheless. I didn't like to see him hurting so much and hoped that some of that pain would be laid to rest before the mission's end.

We found a good place to camp and settled in for the night. Kurama and I sat side by side keeping watch while Yusuke and Kuwabara slept on. I doubted we could have slept with their snoring anyway. The noise itself was enough to keep the lesser demons away at least. Kurama shook his head. "It's worse then I remember," he joked. "How did we ever get any sleep during the Dark Tournament?" he asked. "Fatigue," I answered. Kurama chuckled at that remark. "Perhaps we should turn in as well and try to get some sleep. Kiyoshi is still quite a distance and we will need our energy for the journey," he suggested. I nodded in agreement and rose to put the fire out. Kurama laid down upon his makeshift bed, looking up at the stars. I laid down a short distance away. I glanced over at him and he turned to face me, a small smile upon his lips. "You needn't worry Hiei, I'll be alright," he assured me. "Like I said before, if you need to get something off your chest I'll listen. Don't suffer needlessly," I replied. Kurama's smile widened. "I won't. Good night," he said then closed his eyes. "Good night," I replied, then closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep despite the racket two of our teammates were making.

Kurama smiled and spoke politely to a older vixen as she passed him a bowl of rice. He thanked her and served himself a portion. The vixen chuckled "My Kurama, you have an appetite," she commented playfully. "You've prepared such a wonderful meal Taki-san, I'm afraid I've made a glutton of myself," he replied. "Really mother, you shouldn't tease him like that. You know Kurama's a growing young man," a younger vixen chided. "I know Leiko," the older vixen said.

_"Sakura, I hope Kurama enjoys your cooking as much as mine," she added.. "He enjoys the things I make for him," I replied. I knew the words had came from my mouth but the voice wasn't mine. It was a female's voice. "Sakura has learned well from you Taki-san," Kurama agreed. I glanced over at him as I felt him squeeze my hand. I felt myself smile as I leaned over and kissed his cheek. As I pulled back I realized that his silver tail was swishing back and forth, a sure sign he was nervous. I wondered what he could have been nervous about. He'd had dinner numerous times with this family. I wasn't sure how I knew that, I just knew. Kurama set aide his plate and turned his gaze upon the only other male in the room. "Fujita-san, I'd like to ask something of you," Kurama said. The older male looked intrigued. "What would you ask of me?" he inquired. "I would like very much to have your blessing in asking your daughter if she would do me the honor of becoming my mate," Kurama replied. Fujita smiled. "You have my blessing," he said._

_Kurama then turned to face me. "Sakura, would you be my lifemate?" he asked. I smiled and threw my arms about his neck. "Yes, my love," I replied and our lips met in a gentle kiss. Out of the corner of my eye I caught Leiko's expression. Though her face showed no malice, her eyes burned with anger, jealousy and hate._

I awoke wondering what that dream was all about. It had seemed almost real, like a memory relived. I glanced over at Kurama who was still sleeping and wondered if I had merely picked up on one of his memories. However, that wouldn't explain why I was seeing things through the eyes of the one called Sakura. I couldn't help but wonder if she had wound up breaking the fox's heart. In the dream I could feel her love for him and I doubted that was likely. It was more probable that something had happened to her, but what? Perhaps during the time we were in Kiyoshi I would learn Sakura's fate. As I laid back down and drifted back into sleep I wondered what else I would come to discover about the fox.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

It was another three days before we reached the forest nearest our destination. The sun was beginning to set and I wondered if we would reach the village before night set in. I did not want to spend the night out in the forest. I could swear we were being watched, though I sensed no one. Kurama must have sensed it too. He was alert, watchful. He was as uneasy as I and I didn't like that.

Kurama's form shimmered switching from his human form to his true form. Suddenly, he lifted his arm, his hand reaching into his hair for his signature weapon. I drew my sword as well, ready to face the danger he had sensed. From the misty, dim forest surrounding us several figures emerged. All of them were fox demons. "Well, hello Kurama. It's been a long time," the leader purred as she stepped out of the misty shadows. With a start, I realized she was the vixen that I had seen in my dream three nights prior. The same vixen whose eyes had burned with such anger and hate at the one called Sakura.

Leiko's energy had a strange feel to it. It was as if it had been tainted, or tampered with somehow. The others with her all gave off that same strangeness to their energy as well. Kurama had mentioned before that some fox demons were banished from their clans. Was this the way they were marked as so?

Leiko was tall and lithe with an ample bosom and long legs that would make any male glance her way. Her face was easy on the eyes as well framed by wild mop of dark hair. As pleasing to the eye as the vixen was, Kurama was not at all happy to see her.

Kurama scowled, his golden eyes flashing with anger. "I thought I'd seen the last of you, yet here you are daring to show your face to me, and in the company of rouges no less," he said. The vixen smiled as she stalked forward. "I on the other hand, have been hoping to see you again," she said. " I've missed you my love," she said. "You have no right to call me that, Leiko. We were never lovers," he responded. "If it weren't for my twit of a sister we would have been," Leiko snapped.

"She was my _mate_," Kurama growled. "You should have been _my_ mate," the vixen hissed back. Kurama narrowed his eyes at her. "I would have _never_ been _your_ mate," he growled "The clan showed you mercy and spared your life, despite your crime, but I will not," Kurama hissed. The vixen smirked. "Then come, " she challenged. The fox's rose whip cut through the first few foolish enough to attack him. He took them down every last one, without a glance. His eyes were on Leiko. She was his prey.

More appeared from the mists and I soon found myself busy fighting the fox demons that came at me. From the sound of the battle around me I assumed that Yusuke and Kuwabara were as well. Still, I kept my eye on Kurama as much as I could, making sure I knew where he was in case he needed my help. That dark haired vixen had something in mind and I was not going to let her harm Kurama.

Suddenly, I heard Kurama cry out. I fought my way to him, determined to get to my fox. They all fell by my sword without a thought. None of them was going to keep me from him. The fox lay face down on the ground. His long silver hair fanned out over his back and shoulders. The vixen was advancing toward him with wicked glee. I leapt in front of Kurama with my sword raised protectively. "Take another step and it _will_ be your last," I hissed. She stared at me in surprise for a moment. She studied me, staring me right in the eyes. I stared right back meeting her gaze, letting her know without words that I was not kidding. If she tried to take him from me, I would not hesitate to kill her. A whistling noise caught our attention forcing us to break eye contact. An arrow sang through the air landing at the vixen's feet. She let out an angry hiss and made a hasty retreat. Just as suddenly as the vixen and her minions appeared they vanished into the haze from which they came.

A silver haired vixen came into view carrying a bow with a quiver strapped across her back. "Hurry, this way," she said. I knelt beside Kurama. He shakily sat up and placed an arm over my shoulder. Kuwabara approached to help as well but Kurama stopped him with a motion of his hand. "It's best you both keep your distance, that pollen she used on me is dangerous and I don't want you or Yusuke exposed to it," he said. "Are you going to be alright?" Kuwabara asked. "Only time will tell," Kurama replied.

We followed the silver haired vixen following a path it seemed only she could see. Kurama leaned on me for support and I wondered what about the pollen was so dangerous. Was it poisonous? If so was it fatal? More importantly would we arrive at wherever the vixen was taking us in time to help Kurama?

Soon a large stone building loomed before us. We followed the silver haired vixen to it. I realized it must be a temple or a palace. My suspicion was proven correct as we entered. "Come with me, your friends can wait here," the vixen said to me. "Bring some towels to the river and prepare beds for our guests," she instructed a pair of vixens. She motioned for me to follow her as she continued moving toward a set of large double doors. I followed the vixen through them, outside and immediately I heard the sound of a waterfall. A screen of greenery shielded it from view. The vixen led us down to the riverbank behind the screen then headed back without explanation.

"Get me into the water, quickly," Kurama instructed. I felt my cheeks grow hot, knowing he would need to strip for that. I began to undo his tunic, but he placed his hand on my wrist, stopping me. "No, we _ both_ need to get into the water as we are. It's all over my clothes and yours too we need to rinse it off," he said. Sensing the urgency in his voice I did not hesitate to gather him up in my arms again and wade into the river.

Red pooled around us almost immediately and I fought panic. "Fox, where are you hurt?" I asked. "I'm uninjured Hiei, " he assured me. "What you see is a pollen from the plant Leiko used on me," he told me. "You need to get as much off of us as you can," he said.

The fox had not opened his eyes and I worried that whatever it was Leiko had used on him had blinded him. I didn't voice my fear. Instead I lead him to the waterfall. We both stayed under the running water for a while, wanting to make sure the pollen was all washed away.

Kurama undid his tunic and tossed it into the water, A moment later the garment was plucked from the water by one of the overhanging vines. Next, he tossed his shoes to them. Lastly he tossed his pants into the water before diving in.

When he surfaced, he had his back turned to me, but still I could sense something was wrong. "Put your clothes into the water and the vines will wash them," he said. I shed my clothes and shoes, leaving them for the vines to tend to.

I approached him cautiously. "Please Hiei, don't come any closer," he said softly. "I'm not sure I'm safe to be around," he continued. "What are you talking about?" I demanded. " You're not making sense," I told him. The fox was trembling and I felt myself fighting panic again. I rushed forward and grabbed a hold of his arm.

His skin was hot, and flushed, yet the water we were in was cool and the day mild. "Did she poison you?" I asked. "She drugged me," he said. "That pollen she used on me only affects male fox demons and is very powerful. By sunrise I will be beyond help," he said.

"What about now, is there something that can help you?" I asked. " I can't ask that of you Hiei," he said softly. I frowned. "What can I do to help?" I asked. "I suppose if I asked you to leave me you wouldn't would you?" he inquired. "I won't abandon you," I said firmly. "Every moment you stay with me you're in danger," he said. "From what?" I asked. "From me," he replied.

"The pollen Leiko used on me is from the passion flower. It is used in very small doses as an aphrodisiac, but in large doses it creates a desire that if not sated before the drug reaches it's peak causes madness and an insatiable desire," he explained. "Let me cure you then," I said. "I can't ask that of you Hiei," he protested. "The way I understand it, we either have sex or you loose your mind and become a nymphomaniac," I said. he gave a slight nod. "Then we have no choice. I'm not letting you suffer that fate when I can prevent it," I told him.

Tears slid down his cheeks and I gently wiped away his tears and kissed his eyelids. His eyes fluttered open and mine widened in shock. Kurama's eyes had become a silvery gray. "Kurama, your eyes are silver," I said. "It's spreading through me faster than I thought. It won't be long before my behavior is affected," he whispered. "I will take care of you," I vowed.

I heard footsteps approaching and a few moments later a pair of towels came through a small parting, held by the vines. "Let's get out of this water and go inside," I suggested. Kurama nodded in agreement. We dried off quickly, tied the towels around our waists and headed inside.

"Kurama are you alright?" Kuwabara asked. "What's with your eyes?" Yusuke questioned. "I'm not sure yet Kuwabara. I'll be given a treatment and if it works, I'll be fine," He said to Kuwabara "The coloration of my eyes is just a side effect. It will go away if the treatment is successful," Kurama answered. The vixen that had rescued us then entered the room, looking anxious. "Enough you two. Let Kurama get his treatment and some rest. You'll see him in the morning," the vixen said, then motioned for us to follow her.

She led us down the hall to one of the open doors. "You may share this room if you wish. If not, I'll have another made up," she said. "It's fine," I said as we entered the room. "Will you require a healer, or will your friend here be giving you the treatment?" she asked Kurama. "I will take care of him," I told her. "If you need anything just pull the chord to ring the bell. Someone will come to assist you," the vixen said then turned and left the room, closing the door behind her.

Kurama turned down the bed and laid down. I sat down beside him. I knew that he did not want to do this, whatever his reasons. I would gladly give myself to him if that was what he wanted and I wished that the situation was different, that we were not just friends, but lovers and the task that we needed to do wouldn't be a task at all but another excuse to seek pleasure with one another. But, we were not lovers and I did not want to do something Kurama did not want, however I wasn't going to sit idly by and let him suffer the consequences if we did not. If giving him my body was the cost to keep the man I loved whole then so be it. I just wished that I could cure him without him regretting it later. If there was a way that I could cure him without us actually coupling I would gladly try it, for his sake.

An idea came to me and I hoped that it would work. I reached up and undid the ward covering my third eye. Kurama sat up and gently caressed my cheek. I leaned into his touch. "Hiei, are you sure about this?" he asked. "Yes, I will not have you succumb to this, when I can cure you," I replied. "Thank you, I am forever in your debt for this," he said. "There are no debts between us," I said.

He pulled me toward him. I let him and found myself on my back. Kurama kissed my cheek reverently, then placed a chaste kiss upon my lips. I mimicked his action. The fox kissed me again, deepening it this time, sending a spark of pleasure through me. I moaned softly The sound only emboldened him, he released my lips to nibble on my throat gently before taking my earlobe between his lips and sucking lightly. Something within me awakened, my desire was kindled by his sensuous nips and kisses .

He kissed me again, but this time it was hungry, more demanding. As I returned the kiss I felt his hand gently glide over my chest. He ran his hands gently over one side down to my belly then up again to the other side. I found myself kissing him back with the same ravenous hunger that he had kissed me with. I moaned softly as his fingertips ghosted around my nipple, causing it to harden into a nub as he played with it. With his other hand he gently teased the other nipple as well as our kisses became more fevered. His touch upon me set my skin afire. It felt wonderful, but I knew I couldn't let this go too far. I broke away from his kiss, knowing that if I let him continue there would be no turning back . I did not want him to regret our union come morning, so I could not let that happen. Instead, I had to proceed with my plan and hoped it worked.

I took hold of him and turned us so that I was on top. I gave him a loving kiss and caressed his silky silver hair. "Open your mind to me. It will make this easier for us both," I told him telepathically. It took a few moments but I began to sense his thoughts. They were hazy, no doubt clouded by the pollen and lust. With my third eye I began to craft an illusion within his mind. Within the illusion I worshipped his godlike body with kisses and caresses as I have always wanted to do. In reality, I kissed his fevered cheek and whispered in his ear that I loved him.

I laid my head upon his chest and closed my eyes, allowing myself to give into the illusion that I had created. I moaned as Kurama's lips caressed mine. I caressed his shoulder, letting my hand slide down his back to caress his long silky tail. He arched into my touch, a deep moan emitting from his throat. Our kisses and caresses became more heated as we exchanged them until finally Kurama squeezed my backside. "Please Hiei, I need you," he moaned. "Then have me," I murmured. Kurama entered me and we began the ancient dance of love and lust.

As he made love to me in that wonderful dream,I vowed that if he were ever mine, we would make love for real. I would find what pleasured him most so that he would never be left unsatisfied whether it be inside the bedroom or outside. I just hoped that this would not harm our friendship. I could not bear it if the fox was no longer at ease with me. I just hoped that when the sun rose Kurama would be cured and that the bond between us would be stronger and not weaker.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

The first light of morning fell upon the land, ending the night. A lone bird greeted the new day with a loud and joyous song, waking me from my slumber. I lifted my head and looked toward the dim light coming in through the window, silently cursing the bird for waking me just when I was falling into a deep and restful sleep. Kurama's ear twitched and his eyes fluttered open. He raised his head and looked sleepily at me. "Good morning," he murmured. "Morning," I replied as I laid my head back down. "How do you feel?" I asked him. "Like myself again," he replied. "Thank you. If it weren't for you, right now I'd be a crazed nymphomaniac giving myself to whoever and whatever wanted me," He said. "You seemed rather reluctant to accept my help last night," I reminded him. He turned so that his eyes met mine. His golden eyes were unreadable, giving away nothing. However his gaze was soft and caring. "You're very dear to me, you know that. If we were to become intimate that way, I wanted it to be because we both wanted it, not because we had to," he replied softly. I gave a slight nod and looked away. "Just how dear to you am I Kurama?" I asked him. "Don't you know? I told you last night," he replied. "Last night was an illusion, a dream. I used the jagon to trick your mind into thinking that we had sex. Since you were so reluctant to go through with it, I figured it would be better if I tried making you believe that we had. If that hadn't worked I would have given myself to you right away," I confessed.

Kurama gently spoke my name, causing me to turn to look at him. "That was a brilliant idea Hiei, and I'm glad it worked," he said. "I was afraid you would have just seen last night as a fling or some sort of duty out of friendship, but for me it wouldn't have been because, I …love you," he confessed.

For a moment I looked at him not fully comprehending what he had told me. "You _love_ me?" I asked in surprise. Kurama swallowed hard. "Yes Hiei, I've been in love with you for years it just took your absence for me to come to terms with it," he answered. "I've never felt for anyone what I feel for you, but I was too afraid of loosing you as my closest friend to tell you the truth," he said. I reached out and gently touched his cheek. "I love you too," I said. Kurama's eyes lit up in excitement. Before he could speak I pressed a finger lightly against his lips to silence him. There was something I needed to say.

"Kurama, I want this as much as you, but I want you to really think about it first," I said. "What is there for me to think about? I love you, and you love me," he replied. "I know, but are you absolutely sure that I am really what you want? I'm not at all experienced in love, nor do I have anything to offer you but my heart," I responded. "If we were to begin a courtship, it would be taboo in the human world correct?" I asked. "Yes," Kurama replied. "We would have to hide what we feel for each other in front of everyone, even telling Yusuke and Kuwabara would be a risk," I said. "Think about it Fox. Do you really wish to court me?" I asked him.

"Don't answer me now. When this case is over, I want you to really think about this. If you still feel that you want to see if I would make you a good mate then I will gladly be yours, but if you find that what you really need is a lover to warm your bed at night, then perhaps it is better that we just remain friends," I told him. "Alright, Hiei I'll do as you ask. However, I doubt I'll change my mind. I love you with all my heart and nothing is going to change that," he agreed. I smiled and laid my head back on the pillow. "I love you too fox, now go back to sleep," I said then closed my eyes determined to ignore the overly cheerful chirping of the bird outside and get back to sleep.

Kurama frowned with worry. From his reflection in the mirror I could see it. "Sakura, this is third morning in a row you've been sick. You've hardly been able to keep anything down since yesterday. You should see a healer about this," he said. I placed the hand towel back in it's place and turned to face my mate. "I'm going just as soon as I get dressed and get you some breakfast," I assured him. "Don't worry about cooking anything for me. It will only make you feel sick again," he replied. "As soon as you've bathed and dressed I'll walk with you to the temple," he said. "Why don't we just bathe together, we'll get done faster then," I suggested. Kurama smiled mischievously. "No we won't," he disagreed. "In fact, I think I'll go bathe in the river this morning. I could use a cold bath now," he added. I rolled my eyes at him. My husband kissed my cheek and left the bathroom. I shut the door behind him and prepared to bathe.

_As I cleaned my body, my mind wandered to my condition. Kurama and I both had an idea of what was causing me to be sick, but neither one of us wanted to voice it. "What if I am pregnant?" I wondered. "We've only been married a year, what if we're not ready to start a family?" "Kurama and I talked about having children before but, this may be too soon for him and for me," "That herb the healer gave me was supposed to keep this from happening," My thoughts spiraled in the same circle as I bathed and dressed. I was torn between hoping I was pregnant and hoping I wasn't. _

_I readied myself as quickly as I could and headed out to the backyard where I knew Kurama would be bathing in the part of the river that passed through our property. What I didn't expect was my sister trying to kiss my husband, who was only partially dressed. _

_Kurama pushed her away, with his eyes wide. "Leiko, what has gotten into you?" he demanded. "I told you," she replied. "You deserve better than Sakura," she said. "And so I should betray my wife?" he replied. "Not betray her, just leave her. She's beneath you. You should be with me, I can keep you satisfied much better than she ever could," Leiko replied. Kurama narrowed his eyes at her. "Leave, I will not have you speak of my mate that way," he said in a low, dangerous tone. "You should do as my husband says Leiko," I said, drawing both their attention. "Kurama is my mate not yours. If he's not satisfied with me then that is between he and I, and none of your business," I said. Leiko glared at me, obviously angry that I had stepped between her and my mate. _

Kurama walked away from her, toward me, turning his back on her. "Go, you are no longer welcome here," he said to Leiko. He took my hand and together we headed inside. Kurama's tail lashed back and forth in agitation. "You should be careful of her Sakura. I know that she's your sister but I don't trust her," he said as we stopped and he turned to face me. "She will have to be careful of me if she does something like that again," I hissed. Kurama smiled and nuzzled my neck. "Vicious little vixen aren't you?" he teased, then kissed my lips. Once we broke the kiss he slipped into his tunic and I tied the belt in place and we headed for the healers that resided in the temple on the outskirts of town.

My eyes fluttered open as a noise pulled me out of my dream into full alertness. Yusuke and Kuwabara's voices were growing louder as they approached the room. Kurama rose with a sigh and quickly looked around for something to wear. I quickly averted my eyes. He tossed me a robe, which I gratefully accepted and immediately put on. A moment later there was a loud knock at the door.

Kurama opened the door just as the sliver haired vixen that had saved us the day before walked up behind Yusuke and Kuwabara. "Excuse me," she said, causing them to move aside. She handed Kurama some clothing with a "Good morning," then shooed Yusuke and Kuwabara away so that we could get cleaned up and dress. Kurama set the clothing on the bed to inspect it. It was a pair of tunics with matching pants, one white the other in a dark blue. Kurama handed me the dark blue set, seeing as it was smaller and would not accommodate his larger frame. We took turns in bathing quickly and dressing , then headed down to the dining hall.

As soon as we entered the room Yusuke and Kuwabara bombarded us with questions. Kurama smiled good naturedly and answered as many questions as he could without revealing what had transpired between us. We sat down and he conversed with them as I dished him up a plate. He thanked me as I set it in front of him and began eating.

When the meal was over we were shown to a large common room where several vixens awaited us including the silver haired one that had led us to safety the evening before. "It's good to see you home again Kurama," an older vixen said as she sat down. "It is a pleasure to see you again as well Tomoyo-dono," Kurama responded. "You have heard tell what has happened here and that is what has brought you and your companions to us," Tomoyo said. "Yes, Tomoyo-dono," Kurama replied. "We were told that guys were disappearing," Kuwabara said. "Guys?" the vixen inquired. Kurama couldn't help the small smile that crossed his lips. "It's a human term for a male, Tomoyo-dono," Kurama explained. "I see. Actually they have all vanished, save for the young ones, those who are still in adolescence, and the elders," she replied. "What caused them to vanish?" Kurama asked. "One evening the forest grew still and a lovely song filled the air. Then the males still early in their adulthood to those near to becoming elders all began to walk toward the sound. Their mates tried to stop them, but they said it was of no use. Their words fell on deaf ears, and physically trying to prevent them from leaving did no good. The vixens all said their eyes were lifeless, like one possessed. The males just simply left the village, walked into the forest and were never seen or heard from again," Tomoyo said.

Kurama frowned. He quietly excused himself and headed outside. The silver haired vixen soon did the same. I slipped out of the temple to keep an eye on him. I did not want anything happening to him, nor did I want that vixen making any moves on him. Now that he and I had confessed our feelings for one another I was determined to protect what was mine. I made myself comfortable in the bough of an oak tree with a great view of the garden below. Kurama was below me staring out at the forest around us. A moment later, the vixen appeared and put her arms around Kurama. To my shock, he seemed to welcome her embrace. He put his arms around her in a warm hug and kissed her cheek.

Anger welled up in me. How could he say that he loved me and then hold that vixen like that? I had been willing to trust him with my heart and I was starting to believe that would have been a mistake. I was ready to stand and leave them when the vixen looked up at me.

"Calm yourself, our interests are not the same," she said to me. "Who are you talking to Sata?" Kurama asked. "Your cute but irate boyfriend," she replied. I left my perch in the tree, landing right in front of them. "How did you know he was up there? He had his energy cloaked," Kurama inquired. "Did you forget that I'm an empath brother?" she replied. "No, but you knew who Hiei was by what he was feeling?" Kurama answered. Sata grinned. "Simple deduction brother dear. You allowed him to help you to the temple and cure you of the passionflower pollen. Only one's beloved would be so trusted," She replied.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Hiei," Sata said. I gave slight nod of acknowledgement. "You never told me you have a sister Fox," I said. "There's a lot of things I never told you Hiei. Besides, you never asked," he replied. I scowled at him. "Inari, he's sexy when he's mad," I heard him think. "Is that so? Kuwabara should annoy me more often then," I replied telepathically. Kurama blushed. "Hiei, were you listening to my thoughts?" he asked telepathically. "I could only read your mind if you let me. Besides, you were practically projecting that thought. I couldn't help but overhear it," I replied. His cheeks grew even redder.

Sata's expression became very somber. "Do you think father is still alive?" she asked softly. "I'm sure he's alright," Kurama replied. "Hopefully we can find out who or what is behind this and rescue everyone," he told her as he put an arm around her to comfort her. "We should go back inside. The oracle is to arrive soon," she said softly.

I followed them inside and sat down at Kurama's right. Sata at his left. "You alright Kurama?" Kuwabara asked, clearly concerned. "Yes, I just needed some air," Kurama replied. "Hiei and Sata didn't want me alone, with everything that's going on," he explained. "Sata?" Kuwbara asked. "That would be me," the silver haired vixen informed them. "I'm glad to see my brother has such concerned friends," she added. "You never told us you had a sister," Kuwabara said. Kurama gave him a weak smile. "There are many things I never told any of you," he said.

The door opened and the four of us turned to face a lovely red haired vixen who didn't look much older than Sata. "Makino?" Kurama inquired. The vixen smiled. "It is a pleasure to seen you again Kurama. I just wish that your return had come at a more joyful time," she replied. "I hope that you and your friends will be able to lead us back to more pleasant days," she continued. "What do you mean?" Kurama asked. "I have foreseen what is to come. If you and your friends fail to stop the one responsible for the vanishing of the males all four of you will not return," she answered. I stared at her with narrowed eyes. I didn't like the way that sounded. Oracle or not if she was threatening us…

"One of you will lead two others into betraying the fourth," Makino continued. "I bet that's Hiei," Kuwabara grumbled under his breath. I shot him a glare. Makino smiled at him. "No human, it is he that will save you all, provided that he discovers the secret that will render him immune to the enchantment that binds the others to the siren's will," she said. Kurama frowned, his body tense. "You mean we're to betray Hiei?" he questioned. Makino nodded "That much is certain," Kuwabara looked upset. "Listen lady, I don't care what you saw. Hiei may be a jerk sometimes, but he's our friend and I for one would rather die than betray him," the carrot top said. Makino smiled sadly at him. "Your heart as well as your words are noble, but I never said that any of you would betray him willingly," she said. "If enchanted by the siren's song, you will become the siren's slave and do whatever she whishes, even if it is contrary to your own will," she told him.

"Siren's song? You mean like in the myths?" Yusuke asked. "Similar, but not one and the same. This siren I believe uses an enchantment upon her victims and does not bid them to her with her voice as a real siren would," Makino said. "Do you know who this false siren is?" Kurama asked, meeting Makino's eyes. The vixen raised an eyebrow. "You have your suspicions, do you not?" she inquired. "Is it Leiko?" he replied. "Yes, dearheart it is," she answered.

"Hiei's the one who's supposed to save us right?" Yusuke asked. Makino nodded. "What can we do now to help him?" he inquired. Makino sighed. "I do not know what it is that he needs to discover nor if it is your help that helps him to find it," she said. "I only know that one of you will lead the other two in betraying him somehow and if he does not find out the secret to withstand the siren's song, he will fall by her hand. Kurama will remain ensnared in her enchantment. What becomes of the human and the half human here I'm not sure, but I doubt that either of you two will survive," she informed him. "And if Hiei successfully discovers this secret in time?" Kurama asked. Makino smiled. "Then dearheart, those held bound by the enchantment will be freed and the four of you will have the gratitude of your clan," she said. "Also, the loneliness that has plagued you for so long will finally end, for you will be with your true mate, and find the joy that you once lost," she added. Though the news had sounded good to me, Kurama didn't seem very glad to hear it. In fact, he looked a bit confused.

Before he could ask her anything, Makino rose gracefully in a single fluid motion. "If I discover anything more I will let you know right away," she said then headed out of the room. "I don't know about you guys but I'm more confused then ever," Kuwabara said. I would have made some wisecrack about that remark, but I felt the same.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"How are we supposed to get past this guys?" Kuwabara asked. "If this Leiko chick uses her spell on us then we'll end up like the guys that live here," Yusuke agreed. Kurama frowned. "I doubt she'll hesitate to use it, knowing that we're here," he said. "It would seem the only way around that spell is to be female," he commented. "Since that's obviously not gonna happen, what can we do to stop her before she puts us under her spell?" Yusuke replied.

"If it were a real siren you guys were dealing with, all you would need to do is plug your ears, but with magic it's not so simple," Sata said. "Distracting the caster will temporarily or permanently end the effects of the enchantment depending on the spell. Seeing as how she's controlling so many males at once with this enchantment I'd say if she was distracted, the effects would wear off long enough for you knock her unconscious which would definitely end the spell," she told us. "Just where did you learn all of this?" Kurama asked her with one slender silver eyebrow raised. "From Makino, she said that it would be useful for me to know to help me understand how my abilities worked," she explained.

Kurama looked thoughtful for a moment, probably thinking over her answer. The room remained silent and soon Kurama broke that silence. "What if some else distracted Leiko for us? Kurama suggested. "The vixens would probably be willing to help," he said. "It could work. Even if we fell under her spell, the vixens' distraction would free us long enough to render her unconscious," I agreed. "I'll spread the word," Sata said.

"Until then It may be best that you guys stay out of sight. Leiko is probably not expecting you to be here so, I think that you're safe for now. Even if she did, she's not stupid enough to try something on sacred ground," Sata said. We all agreed that it was a good idea that we stay inside the temple grounds out of sight from the other villagers for the moment. Sata kissed Kurama's cheek, then stood and headed for the door. "You aren't going by yourself are you?" Kurama asked her. "Tomoyo-san is going with me," she assured him. "I'm not a kit anymore Kura, I can take care of myself," she teased him.

"So, this is where you grew up?" Kuwabara asked as Sata left the room. "Yes, this is my clan," Kurama replied. "Do you have any other family here, besides your sister?" Yusuke inquired. "Just my father. My mother died when Sata was quite young. "You don't seem too happy about being home," Kuwabara observed. Kurama turned his gaze away from him, looking out of the window instead . His eyes were distant and clouded with sorrow. "This place hasn't felt like home in a long time Kuwabara," Kurama said. "There are just too many memories here I would rather forget," he added.

I gently touched Kurama's shoulder, catching his attention. "I'm tired of being cooped up in here, let's get some fresh air," I said to him. Kurama smiled faintly and rose. I followed suit and headed out of the room with the fox behind me. We went outside into the garden and stood by the river. "If I were in your position, I would not be so down," I said. "Is it so obvious that something is troubling me?" he asked. "Even the fool noticed," I replied. Kurama sighed and ran a hand through his long silver hair.

"I've given some thought about what you told me earlier," he said. "You were right. Perhaps a courtship wouldn't be so wise," he added. I felt my heart beat faster. Was he regretting what he had told me this morning? Had he changed his mind about wanting to court me?

He held out his hand to me and I took it. He pulled me close to stand beside him. I stared up at him as he leaned close and brushed his cheek against mine. He sighed and breathed in deeply before pulling away. "I'm unlucky when it comes to love," he murmured. I raised an eyebrow at him. "What do you mean?" I inquired. "I already told you that I was married once. My wife Sakura, was murdered before my eyes along with our unborn kit by Leiko, her own sister. I left this village when Leiko was banished for Sakura's death. I wandered from place to place and became a thief. Years later I became friends with a fellow thief named Kuronue. We became partners in crime and for several years plagued the rich and elite. He fell in love with me and despite my resistance I found that I loved him as well," Kurama sighed and closed his eyes.

"He died before my eyes in a heist that went horribly wrong. After that, I vowed never to fall in love again. I did not want to loose anyone else close to me nor experience the heartache and loss again. I became cruel and heartless, unwilling to let anyone become close to me until I was shot by a hunter and was forced to seek shelter in the human world," He continued. "My mother doesn't know this but it was she who melted my heart of ice. Somehow I had come to love her as a son and found that I could not leave her when I could have. You know that she has been threatened before by my enemies and I fear that eventually I will be unable to save her, as I was unable to save Kuronue or Sakura," he finished as his eyes slowly opened.

"You also fear that if we become involved that I may meet the same fate as Kuronue and Sakura. Am I right?" I asked. "That is one fear, yes," he replied. "Kurama, they would want you to be happy as do I. Whatever you decide regarding us I want you to be happy, even if it's not with me," I said. Kurama gently pressed his lips to mine in a quick peck on the lips. A deep red colored his cheeks as he pulled away. You're blushing," I said. "You would be too if I said something that romantic to you," he replied. "I'm sure that you'll get me back for it in the future," I responded. Kurama smiled. "If you're not careful you may get a reputation for actually caring," he teased. I just smirked at him. "I won't tell if you won't," I replied. "Agreed," he chuckled.

"It's good to see you smile. You've seem so troubled since the start of this mission," I said. "It's just all the memories this place holds for me," Kurama replied. "Sakura's death has haunted me since the moment she died. Coming here has just increased the pain of her loss," he said. "She wouldn't want you to only be reminded of her death when you returned home but also of the time that you spent together," I said. Kurama sighed. "You're right," he agreed. "You must have loved her a great deal to miss her so much," I said. "I did. Strangely, you and Kuronue have been the only two that I felt a connection with as I did with her," he replied. "Perhaps that's part of the attraction," I said. "Perhaps," He agreed.

We sat down on the riverbank. Kurama took my hand in his gently. I smiled softly, enjoying the feel of being near him. I missed that while I was away on border patrol. Mukuro and I were close, but Kurama and I had a bond that was much different than mine with her. I began to wonder if Makino had meant me when she said that Kurama would be with his true mate. Secretly, I hoped so, though I was unsure if Kurama would even consider having me as a mate. Then again, I hadn't thought he'd be attracted to me in the first place.

Neither of us spoke we just sat next to each other simply enjoying being together. I hoped that this at least was taking his mind off his troubles and pain for the moment. After a while he broke the silence. "We should go back inside. No doubt the others will wonder where we've gone off to," he said. I nodded in agreement. He gave my hand a gentle squeeze before reluctantly letting it go and standing to his feet. I stood as well and followed him inside.

Yusuke was still in the common room, using his communicator to talk to his wife. Kuwabara was looking through one of the numerous books on the bookshelves with Sata sitting beside him pointing things out. At least for now he had another source for the answers to his many questions about the fox demons. Sata looked up at her brother and smiled. "The vixens I spoke to while I was out are more than willing to help," she said to him. "Sachi and Sakuya are spreading the word as we speak," she continued. "Many of the vixens do have some sort of plan in mind, but so far we haven't found one that a majority would agree to. Perhaps tomorrow things will come together," she said. "I hope so," Kurama said softly. "I also brought some clothes for you. They're father's but I'm sure they'll fit. I also brought some of your old outfits. I thought you might want to give them to Hiei. He seems about the same size you were when you left," she added.

"Thank you," he said. "You're welcome," she replied. "I put them away in your room," she told him. The door opened and a servant entered carrying a large tray of food. The morning had ended and afternoon had begun. As we sat down to eat lunch we began to formulate plans and strategies for rescuing the village males from Leiko's grasp. By the time dinner came a plan was beginning to come together.

Before I knew it, it had grown late into the evening and was time for sleep. We bid one another good night and headed for our rooms. I followed Kurama to the room we had shared the night before. He opened the door allowing me to enter before him. "I can sleep on the floor unless you don't mind sharing a bed," he said as he shut the door behind himself. "I didn't mind last night," I replied.

His eyes twinkled with mischievousness. "Then I hope you don't mind if sleep in the nude again either," he said. I felt my cheeks redden and he winked at me as he undid the sash that kept his tunic closed. "You don't really sleep in the nude do you?" I asked, curious now that he had said that. He blinked in surprise at my question. "Sometimes, on warm summer nights," he replied. I had to quickly shove away the mental image that was conjured by his answer. He was blushing as he approached me. "That wasn't quite the answer you were expecting was it?" he asked. "Not at all," I replied. He chuckled and nuzzled my neck. "Still, it arouses you a little, don't lie and say that it doesn't because I can tell by your scent," he murmured. "Are you trying to seduce me fox?" I asked him. "Maybe I am, or perhaps I'm just curious as to how much of last night was truly an illusion," he replied.

My heart began to beat faster as he returned to his full height. He turned his back to me and began to slip out of his clothes. I quickly turned my back and began fumbling with my shirt, trying desperately not to get excited over the fact that Kurama was probably naked behind me. Suddenly I felt his arms around me. "May I?" he asked softly. Without thinking, I lowered my arms to my sides. Kurama pulled the tanktop up and I lifted my arms so he could remove it.

"Hiei, would you mind trying on the clothes Sata brought before we go to bed? I want to see what alterations I need to make," he requested. I turned slowly making sure to keep my eyes on his face. He smiled wickedly at me. "I'm decent if that's what you're so wound up about," he teased. Without thinking I glanced down. A white loincloth was securely wrapped around his waist. It reminded me of the ones I'd seen in pictures in one of Kurama's books when he was studying ancient Egypt.

I scowled at him and he smirked. "It's not my fault you thought I was naked," he replied. "As if you would parade around nude in front of me," I snorted. "Actually, I have no problem being nude in front of you if you wanted me to be," Kurama said as he turned and opened one of the drawers in the dresser. "Kuronue didn't seem to mind it, and neither did Sakura once we got over our shyness," he added as he pulled out two dark colored tunics and pants. I gave him a look that said I didn't believe him. "Would you like me to prove it?" he challenged as he handed me one of the tunic sets. "Now you're just being childish," I chided. Kurama chuckled and stuck his tongue out at me. I couldn't help but laugh at the childish gesture from the usually so mature fox.

"What has gotten in to you tonight? First you try to seduce me, then you trick me into thinking you were wearing nothing, and tease me about it," I inquired as I turned my back to him. "I have been more playful with you tonight than usual haven't I? Maybe I just feel closer to you than before," he answered as I peered over my shoulder to see if he had turned his back. He had, knowing I would want my privacy. I slipped out of my pants and into the ones Kurama had handed me. I slipped on the tunic as well then turned back around. Kurama still had his back to me. "May I turn around now?" he asked. "Yeah," I replied. "Sata was right, it is a good fit. The color looks good on you too. I'll just have to sew up the slit for the tail," he commented. "Is this really necessary? I did bring my own clothes," I responded. "They're a gift," he said. "Besides, I'm not going to wear them anymore and they do look very nice on you," he added.

He took the tunic and laid it over the chair at his desk, then laid the pants over them and walked over to the bed. I undressed and laid the pants and tunic over the other pair, then climbed into bed beside him. I turned my back to him and closed my eyes.

"Hiei?" he asked softly as he extinguished the soft light provided by hanging fern like plants one by one until only the one hanging near his side of the bed was lit. "Hmm?" I replied. "I know this is contrary to your wishes, but I would truly like to answer the question you posed to me this morning," he said. I opened my eyes and turned to face him. "I asked you a lot of questions this morning," I responded. "You asked me if I really wanted to court you," he prompted. "I could think of many reasons why we shouldn't but I want to be with you," he said. "All day I've been trying to figure out what it was I really wanted and it's this, just being with you,"

"You're sure that it's not a lover that you want, but a potential mate?" I asked. "Hiei, if all I wanted from you was sex I would have put a lot more effort into seducing you earlier," he replied. "I suppose you wouldn't have been covered either," I said. "Definitely not," he responded. I couldn't help but shiver at that mental image. I felt his hand brush my arm and travel down it to my hand and gently grasp it. I sat up and turned to face him. "Hiei, when we get back to the human world would you go out with me?" he asked.

" If I should say yes, and you began courting me, you would be mine alone?" I questioned. "My lips would give a lover's kisses to no one but you, nor would I willingly give my body to any other," he vowed. "Are you sure you don't want to wait until you returned to the Makai for good?" I asked him. "I'd rather not. Now that I have the chance to win your heart I'm not going to wait and risk someone else sweeping you off your feet when I can try to do so now," he replied. "However, if you're not ready then I will wait," he added. I was more than ready. Truth be told I was growing weary of being alone. Maybe he felt the same way and that was urging him to take the chance now and not wait. I wanted this as badly as he did and if he was willing to put up with the nuisance of secrecy to court me then so was I. "I'll go out with you then," I told him.

Kurama smiled. "We'll make plans once this mission is settled," he said. I nodded in agreement. He kissed my cheek. "Good night," he said softly then laid down. "Night Fox," I replied as I followed his lead. He extinguished the light and I closed my eyes. Soon, I began drifting off into slumber.

"_So, is it what I think it is Tomoyo-san?" I asked. Tomoyo nodded, having completed her examination she had just confirmed what I had suspected. "You don't seem too pleased that you're about to become a mother," she observed. "I'm just not sure how Kurama will react. We've talked of having children, but we didn't think it would happen so soon. I've been taking that herb that you gave me just like you told me to," I replied. "If you went into heat then I'm afraid that the herb wouldn't have worked," Tomoyo informed me. "Your hormones would have neutralized it's effect. I gave you something stronger to use for then, or did you forget?" she inquired. "I must have taken the wrong one," I groaned. I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair. "Do you want to stay a few minutes and have Kurama come in, or would you rather tell him at home?" she asked. "I think it would be best if I told him at home," I replied. _

I thanked the healer and paid her fee before returning to the waiting area where Kurama was sitting, looking like he was going to get up and pace the floor at any moment. I didn't say a word. I just took his hand. He looked worried but understood my unspoken request. He placed his arm around me and we walked that way all the way home. We went into the bedroom and sat down on the bed. "Sakura, what is it?" he asked softly. I looked him in the eye and opened my mouth. "I'm pregnant," I said softly. "Tomoyo is sure of this?" he asked. I nodded. He hugged me and kissed my cheek. "You had me frightened. I thought it was something worse," he said. He placed his hand upon my stomach. "This is sooner than we had hoped but still good news right?" he asked. "You're ok with this?" I asked him. "You're not?" he responded. "Actually, I'm a little scared," I confessed. Kurama smiled. "So am I love, but I'm also very happy and excited," he said. "Inari, Kurama we're going to be parents," I said. Kurama chuckled. "Our families are going to be ecstatic," he replied. "Let's just hope they're not overly helpful as well," I muttered. "Remember when Megumi had her kits?" I asked him. "Yes, neither she nor Sanoske had much peace for quite sometime," Kurama answered. "Hopefully we won't share their fate. Still, they got through it and so will we," he said.

My eyes fluttered open. "I dreamed I was Sakura again," I thought. I turned over and for a moment just watched Kurama sleep. "Why am I reliving her memories?" I wondered. "I doubt that she was here telling me these things. If her spirit were here Kuwabara would have sensed her and Yusuke has made it known that the fool isn't particularly fond of ghosts," I frowned as I turned over again and stared at the beam of moonlight that had slipped through the drapes and was shining dimly on the wall. "Why do they all feel so familiar, as if they'd happened before?" I wondered.


	6. Chapter 5

_Chapter 5 _

_I frowned as I glanced up at the sky. The sun was almost set and I was late. I cursed under my breath. If I didn't hurry Kurama would come looking for me. It had taken enough convincing to get him to rest at home instead of accompanying me to the healer's compound at the temple. He had just spent the day tending patients of his own alongside the healer he was apprenticing under and was already exhausted. He needed the rest and I was not going to rob him of it by having him accompany me to the temple and back home again._

_I sped up, the sudden strange feeling that I was being followed hastened my steps further. What made it worse was that there was no one out on the street. Everyone was already settling in for the evening, even the merchants had closed their shops for the day and had gone home._

_Suddenly, I felt a rise in energy behind me. I knew it immediately, it was Leiko's. I whirled around to face her. Instead, I found myself facing a large monstrous looking plant with leaves as sharp and pointed as a sword's blade. I jumped out of the way as the ground rumbled again and another of the plants burst through the ground._

_Leiko landed behind me and I whirled out of the way as she attacked with one of the blade like leaves. I cursed my rotten luck. Of all the talents I had to be weak with it had to be controlling plants. Although an illusion would only take moments to construct, it would drain my energy and I could not risk harming the babe I carried._

_My sister laughed wickedly at me. "I don't know what he ever saw in you!" she spat. "You're weak, you can't even get a mustard seed to grow!" she hissed. "No matter, once I'm rid of you, I'll have him all to myself," she said. "And how do you figure that?" I shot back. "Kurama wants nothing to do with you and you know it!" I hissed. "He'll come around," Leiko said._

_I leapt out of the way from another of her attacks, landing neatly behind her and with a roundhouse kick knocked her to the ground. Whiplike tentacles erupted from the plants. I twisted and flipped and tried to outmaneuver them the best I could but it was all for naught. Before long I was bound hand and foot. I was exhausted, but still I struggled trying to free myself from the tangle of roots that had ensnared me._

_Leiko walked toward me with a victorious smirk upon her lips. "Poor little weakling all tangled up," she crowed. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of Kurama for you," she said as she raised the blade. A flash of white caught my eye and I realized it was my mate rushing to save me. My heart sank, for I knew it was too late. In a heartbeat I would be taken from him along with the babe I carried. "I will return to claim what is rightfully mine Leiko," I vowed._

Kurama suddenly cried out in his sleep, jolting me from my own nightmare. He bolted upright, his eyes wide, his chest heaving as he breathed rapidly. I sat up slowly so that I wouldn't startle him. "Kurama? " I called softly. He turned his head to look at me and his breathing began to slow. "Hiei? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," he said.

I ignored his apology, for I was grateful he had awakened me from that particular dream. "Nightmare?" I asked him. Kurama shook his head. "No, a memory I'd rather forget," he replied. "Sakura's death?" I asked. He looked startled. "How…did you know?" he inquired. "Earlier, you told me that her death haunted you," I replied. Kurama sighed. "I wished that we didn't have to come here," he said. "I think it's good that we did," I told him. "Someday, your sister will have a mate of her own and probably children as well, you would have felt guilty not knowing them. Surely, you would regret not spending time with your father while you still can. Then of course if it weren't for that passionflower pollen we would have probably wasted years hiding how we truly felt about each other," I said. "Touché," he replied.

Had I been so affected by my own dream that I unintentionally projected it to Kurama, or had I ended up seeing Kurama's dream. That didn't seem likely, since I had been seeing everything through Sakura's eyes. Perhaps, we had been reliving the same event through different views.

Kurama got out of bed and pulled open the curtains. The light of the sun was starting to highlight the mountains. He sat down on the bed and stretched. I moved to sit beside him. " I hope you don't mind, I doubt I'm going to get any more sleep so I figured I might as well watch the sun rise," he said. "I don't mind," I said. Truth be told I wasn't in the mood for sleep anymore either. We sat in silence watching as the sun slowly ascended over the mountains, marveling at the array of colors that ensued.

When it was over Kurama stood and picked up the pants I had laid on the chair. One of the fern lamps lit up as he walked over to the dresser and removed a wooden box. He returned to sitting beside me on the bed and opened the box, revealing various colored threads, pins, needles and other sewing supplies. I watched him as he threaded the needle and began sewing up the slit in the back of the pants made for a tail. It didn't take him very long and the seams blended in so well with the rest of the seams you would have sworn it had never had a slit in the seat at all. "I think the red one will look quite nice on you as well," he said He began sewing up the slit in the second pair of pants which were a rich red color. "There's a cloak that goes with this one," he said. "If you like, I'll get it for you," he suggested. "You don't have to do that fox," I replied. " "Of course I don't, but I want to. You're going to have to get use to it. I do enjoy giving gifts to ones I love, or as Kuronue once put it 'spoiling the hell out of a guy', " he responded. "Did you spoil Sakura as well?" I asked. "Every chance I got," he replied with a smile. "They did their share of spoiling me too, mind you," he said. "Then maybe I'll try to follow in their footsteps," I responded. "After all, I can't have them outdoing me," I added. Kurama chuckled. "I can see now that if our relationship becomes really serious we're going to end up spoiling each other rotten," he said. I smirked at him. "I look forward to it then," I said. He smiled and handed me the red tunic and pants.

I bathed then dressed in the red tunic and pants that Kurama had handed me. His eyes looked me over from head to toe, before motioning for me to turn around. I did as he asked, feeling his eyes upon me as I did. "Very nice," he said. "You see, I told you this would look good on you," he said as I turned to face him. "Are you trying to seduce me again fox?" I asked. A mischievous smile spread across his lips. "Perhaps," he purred. "Either way I'm telling you the truth, see for yourself," he added as he pointed to the mirror. I had to admit, he was right. The outfit did look good on me. He kissed my cheek and headed out of the room to bathe and dress.

In my absence, he had made the bed and laid out the red cloak, for me to see. Folded up on the desk was a dark blue set as well. I just hoped that by the end of this trip I wouldn't have a whole trunk full of clothes to haul back.

He returned dressed in a clean white tunic and pants. He sat down on the bed and began brushing his long silver hair, which was still damp from bathing. A thoughtful expression crossed his face. He looked troubled. "Fox, what's wrong?" I asked as I sat beside him. "I was thinking about what Makino told us, trying to see if I had missed anything that was of importance," he answered. "Hiei, I'm going to end up betraying you," he said as he set down the brush. "No, the enemy will use you against me, there is a difference," I responded. He pulled a seed from his hair and focused his energy on it. Within moments it became a beautiful white flower. "If you need to, use this," he said as he held it out to me. "It's pollen will cause anyone who inhales it to fall asleep," he told me. "I do not want to fight you. If it comes to that, so use this on me if you must. You may even be able to use it on Leiko as well," he added. I took the flower from him. "Hiei, no matter what happens I love you. If I am to fall under Leiko's spell and betray you I don't want you to forget that," Kurama said. "I won't," I assured him. "I love you too Fox," I said. Kurama smiled softly then gave me a quick kiss.

"Let's go get something to eat," he suggested. I agreed and stood to follow him to the dining hall. I noticed that I felt strange as though something was going on within me, but I could not figure out what it was. As we headed out of the room and down the hallway the feeling increased, and so did my anger. Leiko had hurt my fox, and now she was going to use him against me. "Kurama is _mine_," I thought angrily. "She has no right to try and claim him," "If she so much as lays a hand on him I will kill her,"

The angry thoughts seemed to swirl within my head and soon I was feeling disoriented. Suddenly, I felt Kurama's arms around me. "Hiei, are you alright?" he asked, his golden eyes filled with concern. "I'm fine," I replied. He didn't look as though he believed me. "Are you sure? If I hadn't caught you just now, you would have fallen," he questioned. "I must of lost my balance," I responded. I could tell by his expression that he wasn't convinced but he did not press the matter further.

"I think we should see what we can find in the forest on the outskirts of the village. Perhaps there's something that may tell us which direction the missing males went," he suggested. I thought it a good idea so I wordlessly agreed. "We'll have to wait for Yusuke and Kuwabara. I doubt they'll be up at this hour," he commented as we entered the dining hall.

Some vixens were already up and eating breakfast. Kurama politely bid them good morning as we joined them at the table. Kurama dished up a plate of food for me and then himself. One of the vixens chatted with Kurama, another outright flirted with him. I frowned, fighting the urge to glare at her. Were all these damn vixens after him?

I nearly jumped when I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Calm yourself brother," a soft voice said in my ear. "She meant no harm in her flirting, it was only in jest," I turned my head to face Sata. The vixen smiled softly, looking not entirely awake. "I don't remember you being an early riser," Kurama said as she sat down beside me. "I'm not," Sata said, then daintily covered her mouth with her hand as a rather big yawn overtook her. "A rather loud bird refused to let me sleep this morning," she said once the yawn had passed. I smiled in amusement and wondered if it was the same damnable creature that had awakened me the previous morning.

I felt lightheaded again and closed my eyes, trying to make the feeling pass. Thankfully the fox and his sister were occupied in conversation and I doubted they would notice. I was feeling strange, something was happening to me but what I did not know. After a few moments the lightheadedness passed and I opened my eyes again.

Yusuke and Kuwabara were coming down the hall, already arguing even at this early hour. "You see, I told you they'd be up already," Yusuke said as they entered the room. "Yeah, but I still don't see why _we_ had to be up so early," Kuwabara grumbled. The tall carrot top cheered up considerably as the lovely vixens greeted him and he saw the food laid out on the table. Yusuke and Kuwabara bid us good morning as well before starting in on their breakfast. As they ate Kurama shared his idea with them and they agreed it was a good one.

Once breakfast was over we decided to see what we could find in the forest. As we headed through the village curious fox demons stopped what they were doing to watch us. I ignored them and concentrated on my task. I used my jagon to try to find some sort of residual energy or something that might lead us to the missing males. Unfortunately I didn't sense anything definite. There were too many earthen energies around for me to discern which might belong to the missing males.

As we entered the forest, Kurama sniffed the air, trying to see if he could discern any lingering scents. Kurama frowned, obviously not finding anything either. "Now what?" Yusuke asked as we sat down to rest. "I suppose we go back to the village and see if we can find anything else out," Kurama suggested.

A thin fog began to rise in the forest surrounding us. Instantly, he was on the alert. "I think we have company," He said as he stood. I followed suit and drew my sword, ready to fight. Out of the shadows, a lone figure emerged. It was a male fox demon. He was tall and thin with long dark hair. His eyes were devoid of any emotion, lifeless like that of a child's doll.

"Sanoske?" Kurama called. The male did not answer. Another male appeared. This one looked like an older version of Kurama, with the same facial features and long silver hair. His forest green eyes were also lifeless. The two males turned and dashed off into the forest.

"Hurry, we have to find them," Kurama said as he ran off into the forest after them. I cursed and sped off after him trying to catch him before he strayed too far. I was unsuccessful and ended up loosing him in the thick fog.

Soon I found myself alone. I swore angrily, I should have known it was a trick. I cursed again when I realized that the communicators that Kurama and I had been given were ruined when we had to wash off the passionflower pollen. I could hear Yusuke and Kuwabara calling for us. Their voices were distant and I knew they had to be far behind me. We had been successfully split up.


	7. Chapter 6

_Chapter 6_

Within moments I was surrounded by several male fox demons. I knew that I could not fight them, for they were defiantly under some sort of spell. All those I saw had the same vacant expression as Sanouske and Kurama's father and I did not want to hurt them. I leapt out of the way as vines lashed out toward me. I dashed, twisted and turned avoiding the deadly greenery as they attacked. Suddenly, there were flowers everywhere and all at once they sprayed their pollen into the air. In a heartbeat I started to feel dizzy and before I knew it my world began to grow black.

As I slowly regained consciousness the first thing I realized was that it was dreadfully cold. I could feel my body shivering. Instinctively, I flared my energy to warm myself. Instead of the warmth I expected, searing pain reverberated throughout my body. I cried out in agony as the pain seared through me. It faded as quickly as it came leaving me breathless and confused.

"I should advise you not to attempt to use any of your abilities, even that evil eye of yours. Powerful wards have bee placed upon you. They will cause you great pain and even injury if you attempt to use your abilites," a soft voice warned. I turned my head toward the sound. A young vixen was sitting beside me. She held out a small bread roll to me. I took it unwilling to refuse any food I could get. It wasn't much but I was grateful all the same. "What is your name?" I asked her. "Kairi" she answered. "Thank you Kairi," I said and began eating the bread she had given me. Kairi gave me a soft smile. "You're welcome," she replied. "I should be going now. I told the guards I was just checking your wards," she said. I nodded and watched as she rose in a single graceful movement. In moments she went through the door.

I finished the roll Kairi had given me and pulled the blanket around me tighter, trying to get warm.I began to shiver again, but remembering the vixen's warning I did not flare my energy. I stood and pulled the blanket I had been lying on around me. I felt exhausted, drained as though I had called upon the Dragon of the Darkness flame and it had drained my energy. I looked around the room hoping to figure out where I was and a way out. The room was bare except for a sink and toilet set in a corner of the room behind a cloth screen placed for privacy. The only other object in the room was the blanket I was lying on. There was one window in the room and it was heavily warded and too high up for me to reach. For now, I could not see a way out of the room. I could feel my energy both physical and demonic fading with each passing moment.

I got up and began to pace the room, hoping the activity would help warm me up. Instead, it only made me tired, and no warmer than I had been before. I sat down against one of the chilly walls with the blanket curled around me. I felt exhausted and I found that I was even having a hard time even keeping my eyes open.

_A pair of strong arms gently embraced me. Startled, I turned my head to see Kurama."Sorry darling, didn't mean to wake you," he said. My confusion must have shown upon my face, for he smiled softly. "You fell asleep after we had lunch," he explained. "I don't remember that," I said. "Of course not, " Kurama replied. "I suppose you don't remember the kiss you gave me earlier either," he said. I shook my head. "Then let me remind you," he said then leaned in close and captured my lips with his. My eyes widened in shock, but in a heartbeat I responded to the kiss with fervor. The kiss became more passionate and I moaned his name against his lips._

The sound of a door opening awakened me from my pleasant dream. Though it took some effort, I slowly opened my eyes to see who had entered. It was Kairi again. The room was dark, save for the soft light she brought with her. She sat down next to me and handed me another roll, this time a slice of meat and cheese were placed inside it like a sandwich. I murmured my thanks as I took the offered food. I was still shivering, though it was growing less intense. It was still dreadfully cold. I could feel sleep trying to claim me. My eyelids were growing heavy and I feared I would not stay awake long enough to finish my meager meal. Somehow I managed to finish the food Kairi had brought me before slipping into slumber once more. I drifted in and out of sleep, each time I awoke I felt weaker. Before long even keeping my eyes open was an effort. I dreamed of Kurama often, but in the few moments I was awake between dreams, I wondered if he and the others would even find me before it was too late.

I awoke to the sound of my cell door opening. I heard footsteps rushing in and a moment later a soft touch upon my neck. "He's alive, but barely. We need to get him to a healer quickly," a familiar voice said softly. It took me a moment to realize that it was Kurama's voice. He shook me gently. "Hiei, wake up," he murmured. I tried to open my eyes but found I didn't have the strength. I could feel the fox's worry, even though I could not see him. I felt myself being lifted off the cold ground. I felt his warmth as I was held against him, and we began to move.

"So you have come, and you brought the others with you I see," a feminine voice said. I managed to open my eyes just enough to see what was going on. I watched in shock as Yusuke walked toward Leiko and knelt before her. "Urameshi! What are you doing?" Kuwabara demanded. Leiko smirked at him. "The same thing you're about to do," she replied as she turned her gaze upon him. "Why don't you join him?" she instructed. The oaf made a strangled noise of protest and I felt a shiver run through me as I watched him try to fight against the enchantment. In the end, it did him no good. He soon knelt before the vixen as well. "Leiko why are you doing this?" Kurama asked as he backed away from her. "To bring you back home my love, and back to me," she answered.

Anger welled up within me as she approached him. "Life with me would not be so bad. All the males will return to Kioyshi, making you a hero, and you will have me by your side," she purred. I could feel Kurama struggling against the spell she was weaving, for I could feel her power all around us. The weariness that had plagued me was beginning to fade as my fury grew. There was no way in hell I was going to let that bitch steal Kurama. Nor was I going to let her turn my friends into mindless slaves. I heard him whisper an apology in my ear as he set me down.

A pity that one would be so hard to control. He would have made a nice addition to my collection," she said as she poked me with her foot. "Kurama love, take care of him for me," Leiko said to him. I opened my eyes easily and with strength I hadn't felt in what seemed like forever, I was able to roll away from the blow that was meant to end my life. Leiko cried out in surprise as I got to my feet. Anger consumed me as I looked upon her. How dare she try to steal the man I loved from me. How dare she try to steal his friends, family and his life from him.

The fox turned to face me. To my horror, his normally vivid golden eyes had lost nearly all their liveliness. "I will not fight you," I said. "Why not? Because you _love_ me?" Kurama mocked as he attacked again. I knew I was not fast enough to evade his whip this time. My newfound strength was already waning. Instinctively, I tried to use my abilities to protect myself, but instead of fire an icy wind surrounded me, shielding me from Kurama's whip.

I lashed out toward Leiko, striking her with the cold as well, she shrieked in pain and stumbled back, momentarily stunned. The earth rumbled beneath us and the building around us shook. The stone floor erupted, sending pieces of stone flying everywhere.

A large plant had burst through the stone floor. It reminded me of the demonic ojigi plant Kurama had used against Karasu.

Leiko snatched one of the leaves off the plant. The jagged leaf looked much like the blade of a dagger. As she advanced toward me Leiko had the blade raised high, ready to plunge it deep into my chest.

Kurama's whip lashed out and coiled around her. Leiko shrieked in anger turning her head to vent her fury. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw it was Kurama holding the other end of the whip. "You … betrayed me, why?" Leiko asked him. "You forced me to betray Hiei, it is only fitting that I betray you," he answered, though his voice was weak. "Quickly, use the flower I gave you," he said to me telepathically. In a blink of an eye, I was before her with the blossom in hand. The little flower jerked in my hand, spraying it's pollen directly into her face. Leiko coughed and sputtered then fell limp, drifting into unconsciousness. I began to feel lightheaded and began to fall toward the floor. Kurama caught me and I began to fade into unconsciousness.

I awoke, feeling warmth around me for the first time in what seemed forever. Strong arms were wrapped around me in a gentle embrace and a warm body was pressed against mine. Slowly I opened my eyes, surprised that it didn't take as much effort as it had before. I looked around, finding myself in the room I had shared with Kurama during our stay in Kiyoshi.

A fire was roaring in the hearth nearby lending both light and warmth to the room.

"You're awake," came Kurama's soft voice. He breathed a sigh of relief and repositioned us so that we could see one another. Relief and worry were both evident in his beautiful golden eyes as he looked at me. "I must be dreaming," I thought aloud. "No Hiei, you're not dreaming. You're awake, alive and safe," Kurama disagreed. I smiled and closed my eyes as I rested my head upon Kurama's broad chest. Feeling warm and secure in Kurama's arms it wasn't long before I was no longer aware of the world around me.

When I awoke, I found myself back in the room I had shared with Kurama. It was late in the evening, with the light of the full moon shining in through the open window. Kurama was not in the room with me this time, but someone else was. "I'm glad to see you're awake dear one," Makino said. I turned my head to look at her. "Where's Kurama?" I demanded. "I sent him downstairs to get something to eat. He was quite reluctant to leave your side by the way," she answered. "You said I was to find some sort of secret to defeating Leiko, but I never did," I said. Makino raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps I misinterpreted what I saw and you have yet to learn the secret that allowed you to defeat Leiko, but I do know that whatever it is will change your life," she said.

"The healers were able to remove the wards that were on you thanks to a young vixen," Makino informed me. "Kairi," I murmured. Makino nodded. "If you like I can tell Kurama that you're awake. However, if you'd like to get cleaned up first, I'll wait a bit before going down," she continued. "You don't need to wait," I said as I got up slowly. Makino stood and headed to the door as I grabbed my bag. I heard her leave as I made sure everything I needed was there. I left the room and headed off to get cleaned up and dressed.

I locked the door behind me as I entered the bathroom. Deciding a shower would be fastest I located a washcloth and towels and set them out. I then set out the rest of what I needed for bathing and then my clothes I was to change into . I then undid the sash holding the tunic closed. My eyes widened as I stared at the change in my body. The tunic fell to the floor as I looked up at the mirror unable to believe what I saw. I quickly shed my pants as well, hoping what I had seen was an illusion or hallucination of some sort. I backed away from my reflection until I could feel the cool wall against my back. I slid down it until I was sitting on the floor. I now knew why Leiko's spell had not affected me. Somehow I had become female.

"The others can't see me like this," was my first thought. I stared down at my chest wondering how I was going to hide the breasts I now possessed. They weren't large, but they were by no means small either. Shakily, I got to my feet and moved toward the shower. As I bathed, I tried feverishly to come up with something, but came up with nothing.I had no idea what to do next. I was frustrated as I dried off. As if this whole mission wasn't bad enough, this had to happen.

I slipped back into the room for something else to wear. The clothes I had chosen would not hide my new form well. Someone had thoughtfully laid out a pair black pants and a black tunic that would hide my new form quite nicely. I quickly headed back into the bathroom to dress. I dressed and headed back to the room. Kurama was there, standing in front of the mirror with his hairbrush, looking very frustrated. I noticed that one of his arms was in a sling. I took the brush from him and motioned for him to sit on the floor beside the bed. He did so and I sat on the bed and began brushing his long, silky silver hair. "What happened to your arm?" I asked. "I was hit by a piece of stone when Leiko's plant broke through the floor. Lucky for me my collarbone isn't broken, but I'm going to have to do everything one handed for a few days," he replied. "I could help you," I suggested. "I would love to have you stay with me," Kurama said. "If you want to stay a while, we can share my room," he continued. "Will anyone be suspicious of our relationship if we do that?" I asked. Kurama smiled. "Not if there's more than one bed," he said. I finished brushing his hair and handed him the brush. Kurama stood, took a glance in the mirror and turned to face me. He leaned close and kissed my lips. "Thank you," he said softly.

He tilted his head a bit and looked at me curiously. "Your scent is a bit different," he murmured. I pulled back, afraid he would figure out what had happened to me. Hurt flashed in his eyes for a moment and he stood to his full height and turned his back to me heading toward the dresser. I got off the bed and went over to him. Gently, I touched his good arm. "Are you alright?" I asked him. "I'm fine," he replied. "Thanks to you," he added. "How _did_ you stop Leiko?" he asked. I sighed, if this change was permanent, then it was best that he found out. I undid the sash holding my tunic closed and parted the fabric. He gasped in shock. "How in Inari's name did this happen?" Kurama asked. "I don't know. When I went to get cleaned up, I was like this," I answered. He took my hand. "Do you think it's permanent?" he asked. "I don't know," I replied. "Even if it is, that doesn't change how I feel about you. If you will still have me, I still want to court you," he said. "Why would I change my mind?" I asked. "I betrayed you," he said. "No, Leiko used you against me," I replied. "If you had acted on your own free will, one of us would not be alive right now," I added.

"When you pulled away, I thought you were angry with me," he confessed. "I wasn't angry Fox, I didn't want you to find out I had _these_," I replied gesturing to my chest. He smiled mischievously. "I don't know why, they are quite a lovely pair," he said. I rolled my eyes at him. "Are you completely female?" he inquired, his curiosity getting the better of him. "It looks that way," I replied. "I have all the parts on the outside, but I have no idea if I also possess the capability of bearing children," I told him.

"If we had come to our senses years ago and gotten together then, we could have tried to find out," he replied. I raised my eyebrow. "You don't want to try now because…?" I inquired. "If I was simply looking for a _lover_ Hiei, I would have made it known long before now. Besides, if I were to give in to temptation and make love to you right now, it wouldn't change the fact that we're just starting out in this relationship and not at all ready to be parents if our joining resulted in you conceiving," he answered. "I think it's a good idea to take things slow," I agreed. "Good, because I want plenty of time to spoil you rotten outside of the bedroom before I start spoiling you _inside_ the bedroom," Kurama responded. "Is that a promise Fox?" I teased. "Definitely, and it's one I intend to keep as long as you're mine," he replied as he leaned in and kissed me. I returned his kiss, glad that nothing had changed between us.

"Do you have extra bandages with you?" he asked once we'd broken the kiss. "Yeah, why?" I inquired. "We can bind your chest," he suggested. "I take it you don't want Yusuke and Kuwabara to know about this," he said. I got the bandages and together we bound my chest. "How's that?" he asked when we had finished our work. "It isn't too tight is it?" he inquired. "It's fine fox," I assured him. I put the tunic back on and tied the belt securely. "Let's go downstairs for a while, the others are anxious to see you, and my father is eager to meet you," he said softly.

We headed downstairs and found Yusuke and Kuwabara in the dining room talking with some of the males that we had rescued. As soon as they saw us, the tenseness in their facial expressions vanished. I glanced at Kurama for an explanation. "You've been out longer than the rest of us," he explained telepathically. "They were worried that you were hurt somehow," he added.

The silver haired male that we had run into in the forest stood from his seat next to Sata and approached us. "So, this is the one I've heard so much about," he said. He glanced up at Kurama. "Sata was right, this one will be good for you," he said to him. Kurama's cheeks reddened. "Hiei, this is my father, Yutaro," Kurama said. "A pleasure to meet you," Yutaro said. Sata gently tugged Kurama's arm "Kura, Sano's been looking for you," she said. "Go on," Yutaro said. "If Hiei would join me for a short walk outside, we'll be back in no time," he added. Kurama glanced at me and I gave a slight nod. It was obvious that Yutaro wanted to talk with me privately and I was honestly curious as to why.

Kurama reluctantly went with his sister, glancing over his shoulder at me once or twice as he walked away. Yutaro and I left the crowded dining hall and ventured out into the well manicured temple gardens. Soon we were alone. Yutaro sat down on one of the stone benches. "Is it true what Sata told me, that you are Kurama's boyfriend?" he asked. "He wishes to court me," I told him. Yutaro nodded. "He must think a great deal of you then," he said. "Why do you say that?" I asked. Yutaro smiled softly. "My son doesn't trust easily Hiei," he informed me. "If he is willing to trust you with his heart, there is no doubt in my mind that you mean a lot to him," he continued. "Many have tried to win his affection since he reached adolescence, Sakura and now you were the only ones he was interested in," he said. I understood what Yutaro was trying to say. Given his good looks, Kurama would have found it easy to find someone to warm his bed, but for him finding someone he could trust enough to warm his heart was another matter entirely. Sakurai's death had wounded him, and then when he found the courage to love again with Kuronue, he too was cruelly taken from the fox. Even I had not guessed how lonely he must have been.

"That is something Kurama and I have in common," I told Yutaro. "However, in the years I have known him, I came to trust him with my life, and now I find that I must now trust him with my heart as well as he trusts me with his. I cannot lie and say I would never break his heart, I do not know the future, but I will say that I will do my best to see that he does not regret his trust in me," I responded. Yutaro smiled, softly. "I'm glad to hear that," he said.

Kurama's tail was twitching with nervousness when we returned to the dining room, which was considerably less full now. Most of the males had returned home with their mates and families. The tall, dark haired male Kurama was talking to grinned at him, murmured something in his ear that made Kurama nod with a soft smile. The dark haired male then clasped Kurama's arm, the female with them hugged him and kissed his cheek. Arm in arm The raven haired female and the dark haired male headed out of the room. I sat down next to Kurama who was alone now. "I think your family likes me," I said to him. Kurama chuckled. "Yes, Sata and father seem to have taken a liking to you haven't they?" he responded. "If only it could be so simple with my human family," he sighed. "Do you plan on telling them about us?" I asked. "Yusuke and the others may take it well, though Kuwabara I'm not sure about. My mother and stepfather I don't think they would take it well. They were raised to believe a romantic relationship between two of the same sex is a sin, and though they love me a great deal, this may be something that may cause a rift between us, one that may be irreparable," he replied. "Are you sure you're willing to risk them finding out? If we wait until you return to the Makai for good …" I began. Kurama shook his head. "I don't want to wait decades to be with you when I can be with you now. If they should find out or if we decide to tell them then we'll deal with it when the time comes," he said. He smiled softly. "We should get some sleep, we have a long journey ahead of us tomorrow and I for one want to be well rested when we start," he said.

Early the next morning, we said goodbye to Sata, Yutaro, and the rest of our new allies in Kiyoshi and headed home. Much to my relief, I regained my male form when I awoke that morning and Kurama was able to return to his human form. We reached Spirit World in three days and reported to Koemna. Since the communicators he had given to Kurama and me were destroyed he gave us new ones. We were then free to return to our lives.

Kurama sighed with relief as he unlocked the front door to his apartment. He was glad to be home at last. "Shuichi?" a feminine voice called as we entered the apartment. Kurama's mother emerged from the kitchen. "Hello mother," he greeted. He kissed her cheek and hugged her with his good arm. "I came over to water your plants like you asked. I'm glad you're home. I was starting to get worried. Where did you go to in such a hurry?" she inquired. "A friend of ours ran into some trouble. Hiei and I went to help," Kurama replied. "What happened to your arm?" she cried. "That's partly my fault ma'am," I told her. "I was teaching him a new self defense move and he hurt his arm," I explained. "It'll be fine by tomorrow mother. It's just a minor sprain," he assured her. "Maybe I should stay and help you," she suggested. "Nonsense mother. I'll be fine. Hiei will be staying with me," Kurama replied. Shiori then hugged me.

"My you've grown, and just as handsome as ever," she said. I could feel my cheeks heating up. She smiled and kissed my cheek. "You will have dinner with us one night won't you?" she inquired. "Yes ma'am," I replied. "Good, it's been so long since I've seen you. It'll be nice to catch up," she said. "Are you sure you boys don't want me to come back later to help out?" Shiori asked. "I will take good care of your son," I assured her. She smiled. "He's in good hands then," she said. "Call me if you need anything," she said. She gave us each a kiss on the cheek and left the apartment.

"I don't know about you but I could use a shower," he said. "How are you going to manage that with one arm?" I asked. "Are you offering to help?" he inquired. My cheeks reddened. Kurama's eyes danced with merriment. "I'll figure it out," he said seriously. "Though the idea of you bathing me _is_ quite appealing," he added with a mischievous smile. I shook my head, trying to block out the mental images that ensued. When he was done I was going to need a cold shower.

After showering and changing clothes we settled on the couch to watch TV. "My shoulder should be fine tomorrow. Since you're planning to stay a while we should go to the mall and get you some clothes," he suggested. I frowned. I hated the crowds at the mall. "I'll take you to dinner afterward," he continued. "Dinner sounds good," I agreed. "For tonight, how about a pizza?" he asked. That was one human food I enjoyed greatly. I nodded and he called in our order.

Twenty minutes later we were sitting on the couch eating pizza as we watched a movie. When we had finished our dinner. Kurama put his good arm around me. l leaned into his embrace and rested my head upon his chest. We stayed that way throughout the movie and I found that I enjoyed being held like that. It was a new sensation, but a welcome one nonetheless. It was nice just relaxing with the man I loved and I hoped we would do it more often. "Let's go to bed," he suggested as the movie ended.

He shut off the television and stood. I stood as well and followed him into the bedroom. Kurama loosened the sling and slowly slid his arm out of it. I undid the buttons on the shirt I'd helped him into earlier and assisted him in removing it. I next helped him with his pants. By the time I was done helping him undress my cheeks were red again. Kurama smiled. "You're cute when you blush," he said as he turned down the bed. " Puppies and kittens are cute, fox .I am not _cute," _I replied. "You're adorable then," he responded with a grin. I rolled my eyes at him . He chuckled to himself as he headed into the bathroom to brush his teeth. I undressed and put on a pair of clean boxers before climbing into bed. Kurama joined me a short while later. He gave me a swift kiss upon my lips and bid me good night. I returned the gesture, loving the feel of his soft lips upon mine as I kissed him goodnight. He put his good arm across my abdomen as he laid his head down. I prayed to whatever deity was listening that our first date tomorrow would be the start of something that would last.


	8. Chapter 7

First Date

Part 2 of Love, Everlasting

By Yami Yue

I looked over my reflection in the full length mirror before me. The dark purple shirt and black slacks that I had put on looked good on me. Now that the clothing was freshly washed and ironed it looked even better than when I had tried it on in the store this morning. I nearly blushed as I remembered the fox's reaction when I had tried the outfit on. The look in his eyes had bordered on preditorial.

Yukina's reflection appeared in the mirror as she approached. She was smiling as I turned to face her. "You look wonderful Hiei-san. Kurama-san will not be able to take his eyes off you tonight," she said, making me blush. I thanked her and her smile brightened. "I'm glad Kurama-san is courting you. You both seem so lonely even with all of us as your friends. You will be good for each other," she said

"I'm glad he chose to court me," I admitted. "There are others much more worthy of the fox than I am and yet he chose me," I said, giving voice to the thought that had been nagging at me since morning. "Hiei-san, he would not have chosen to court you if he did not think you were worthy of his love," Yukina said. I smiled softly at my sister. "You're saying that I should believe so as well," I stated. "It will take some time, but I will," I assured her. "You have made him very happy. When I healed his shoulder this morning he told me that he hoped your date tonight would go well. It sounds as though he truly wishes to win your heart," she told me.

I looked up at the clock and realized Kurama would soon arrive to pick me up. We had come to the temple after he had bought me new clothes this morning. The clothes that I had in the human world before no longer fit and since I was now living with Kurama in the human world the few articles of clothing I had and the tunic and pants sets Kurama had given me would not suffice. We had come to the temple so that Yukina could heal Kurama's shoulder and I could visit my sister. When Yukina had finished healing his shoulder, Kurama had offered to return in the evening so that I could spend the day with my sister and I readily accepted.

I heard his voice as he greeted Genkai. Yukina and I left the room I had changed in to meet him. He greeted Yukina as well and smiled radiantly as I approached him. "You look wonderful," he murmured. I felt my cheeks warm up and knew I was blushing yet again. "So do you," I replied. The fox looked absolutely gorgeous in his simple white dress shirt and black dress pants. His cheeks reddened a bit. "Thank you," he said softly. "Shall we go?" he asked. I nodded. We bid Yukina and Genkai goodbye and headed out the door.

He took my hand as we descended the stairs and walked to his car. It wasn't until we got into his car and drove off that he spoke. "I have a surprise for you, I hope you don't mind," he said "You know I don't like to be surprised, "I replied. "I'm hoping you'll like this one," he said. Soon the scenery of the forest faded into the buildings of the city. I realized we were going back to his apartment. Was there something there that was part of the surprise?

Neither of us said another word throughout the trip. Even as he parked in his spot at the apartment complex we were silent. I followed him to the apartment, curious as to what the fox had been up to while I was visiting Yukina. As he unlocked the door I could hear soft music playing on the radio inside. "Close your eyes for a moment," he whispered in my ear. I did as he asked and allowed him to lead me by the hand into the apartment.

I heard the door close behind us as we crossed the threshold. Though my eyes were closed I realized that it was dark inside the apartment, for the darkness behind my eyelids was not lightened. We walked a short distance before he directed me to stop. I heard the sound of a chair being pulled out and felt the soft padding of the chair against the back of my legs. "Sit down," he said softly into my ear. "Alright, you can open your eyes," he murmured. I opened my eyes to find that I was sitting at the table. The table had been adorned with a brand new tablecloth and cloth napkins. Candlelight illuminated the room around me and a lone candle set in the center of the table cast a soft glow. In front of me was a small box that was wrapped with a bow tied around a single red rose.

Kurama kissed my cheek. "You can open your gift while I go get our dinner," he said. Gently, I untied the bow, releasing the beautiful red rose. The petals were as soft as velvet and it's scent was sweet . Obviously it was one of the fox's roses. I set it gently onto the table in a spot where it would come to no harm and began working on the wrapping paper.

The wrapping paper fell away to reveal a box of chocolates. I smiled. Obviously he hadn't forgotten what one of my favorite sweets was. There was no doubt in my mind that we'd end up sharing them, just as we always shared the numerous chocolates he always got for Valentines day.

Kurama entered the room carefully carrying two plates. "I got us dinner from a restaurant downtown I heard good things about. I wasn't sure what you'd like, so I hope I made a good guess," he said as he set my plate in front of me.

The food looked and smelled delicious. It tasted even better and I couldn't help but make a soft noise of approval. "It's good," I told him. He smiled, glad that I approved. "Would you like to try some of mine?" he asked. I nodded. He put a small amount on his fork and held it out for me to try. I leaned forward and allowed him to feed me the morsel. He watched, waiting for my opinion. The meal that he had chosen for himself tasted just as good as mine. "It's good fox," I told him.

Kurama blinked in surprise as I returned the gesture, offering him some of my food to taste. He accepted with a smile. He made a soft murmur of delight. "I know you were looking forward to dining out, but I wanted you all to myself this evening," he said. "Just you and me, no nosy humans," I added. "Exactly," he replied. I had to agree it was a good idea. "Good thinking fox," I agreed. "I'll take you the restaurant I bought dinner from for dinner one night if you want," he said. "I'd like that," I replied. Kurama's eyes sparkled with joy.

We chatted as we ate, mainly making plans for my moving in with him, and discussing what activities to do and places to go on future dates. By the end of our meal, I found that I was enjoying myself immensely.

When we finished eating Kurama cleared the table. He did not stay in the kitchen long. Upon returning from the kitchen Kurama held his hand out to me as he stood beside the chair I had been sitting in. I rose and placed my hand in his. He took me by the hand and gently led me to the living room where he had cleared some space. "Dance with me," he whispered. "I don't know how," I confessed. "Just relax and follow my lead," he replied. He took me in his arms and held me close. Slowly, we began to sway to the music. For a short while I was concentrating on where I was placing my feet. I soon got the rhythm and moved with him in sync, just like when we fought together.

A new song began and Kurama began singing the words to the love ballad that played. I raised my eyes to meet his. His eyes met mine and held my gaze. His emotions were unguarded, allowing me to see how he felt. There was no question that he loved me, for it shone in his eyes, obvious to all who would just simply look into them. Never, had anyone looked at me the way he did at that moment. I realized then that he wasn't merely singing along to the song, he was singing the song_ to_ me. The sound of his sweet voice filled my ears and I found myself relaxing in his arms.

All too soon the song ended. Kurama gently pressed his lips to mine. I didn't hesitate to return the gesture. I loved the way his lips felt against mine. I doubted it was possible for me to tire of that feeling. Kurama's kisses were intoxicating, addicting, and I was hopelessly and completely hooked. I deepened the kiss, wanting more. Kurama encouraged me slowly slipping his tongue through my parted lips. I wasn't sure I liked this new addition but I let him continue, curious as to see where it would lead.

Soon we parted for air and I simply laid my head upon his chest. His arms tightened a bit around me in a warm embrace. For the first time in my life I felt safe. After so many years of solitude I finally felt as though I was home. For the first time I truly felt loved.

"We should do this more often," I said softly as we once again began to dance to the soft music. "We shall," Kurama promised. "In fact, let's alternate our dates so that we go out as often as we stay in," he said. I made a soft murmur of agreement. He smiled and pressed his lips gently against mine in a loving kiss. "I love you," he said softly. "I love you too fox," I replied and kissed him lovingly. When we broke the kiss, I slipped my arms around his waist closed my eyes, and laid my head upon his chest.

From now on there was no turning back. We had crossed the lines of friendship, and became more than friends, lovers some would say. I knew that our new relationship would take time just as it took time for us to become close as friends. I didn't expect it would be this wonderful between us all the time, for every relationship has it's ups and downs. I just hoped that our good times would outweigh the bad and in the end we would be more than lovers, but truly a couple, perhaps even mates. For the moment however, I was content in the arms of the man I loved and that was all that mattered.


	9. Chapter 8

Love Everlasting

Part 3: Love Without End?

by Yami Yue

"_Sakura, you have earned yourself a place in paradise. If you go back, you may not get that chance when you return here," Koemna warned. "I know, but I want to go back. I want to be with my mate again. Without him whatever paradise you wish to send me to would be torture for me. I would only end up spending each day pining for my husband, not knowing when or if he will join me. Send me back, that is what I ask as my eternal reward," I replied. Koemna sighed. "Very well," He agreed as he stood. "Follow me," he requested as he began moving toward the door. _

Rain pattered upon the roof, waking me from my dream. "Sakura again," I mused. The dreams had stopped when we had left Kiyoshi and I had thought them gone for good. I had yet to discover the purpose of those dreams or why I was having them and it infuriated me.

Kurama stirred beside me, making me forget about the dream for the moment. He reached out with his hand and touched me, his green eyes fluttered open and he regarded me sleepily. "You haven't left yet," he noted. "I woke just before you," I replied. He sat up a bit and kissed my lips, greeting me good morning. "It's still raining. Perhaps you should wait until the weather improves before making your trip," he suggested. I kissed him gently and began to slide out of bed. Kurama's hand upon my arm stopped me. I turned my head to look at him. He smiled softly. "Hiei, it's pouring out, there's no need to rush. Let's stay in bed a bit longer," he said. His eyes pleaded for me to listen and do as he asked. He was giving me that look he always gave me when he wanted his way and as always I relented. I scooted closer and he put his arms around me and gently pulled me into his embrace.

"I'm going to miss quiet moments like this. Soon, I'll be back to school and you may be training Koemna's new sprit detectives. We may not have peace like this for a while," He mused. I kissed him soundly on the lips to silence him.

The phone rang, further ruining the peace of the morning. Kurama was smiling however, as we broke the kiss to answer the phone. "Hello?" he said into the receiver. "Sure Yusuke, I don't have any plans for the day," he agreed after listening for a short while. "I'll see you in an hour then," he said then hung up. Kurama sighed and got out of bed. "Yusuke's bringing Kimi over in a while," he informed me as he gathered his clothing for the day.

While he took his shower, I retrieved my sword and one of the tunic sets Kurama had given me in Kiyoshi. By the time I made the bed, Kurama emerged from the bathroom toweling his hair dry. I left him to dress in privacy while I took my own shower.

By the time I had showered and dressed Kurama had breakfast ready. "The rain seems to be letting up," Kurama said as he emerged from the kitchen with two plates of hot food. I sat down at the table and he set my plate down in front of me before taking a seat and setting his breakfast in front of himself. I glanced out of the window. "I just hope it doesn't start pouring again by the time I get back," I responded. "When _are_ you coming back? You never did say how long you'd be gone," Kurama inquired. "Tonight at the latest," I replied. He looked surprised, but pleased all the same. "I thought you'd be gone for a few days, knowing how you feel about this world. I still can hardly believe you moved in with me," he responded. "It doesn't matter what world we call home as long as I am yours," I replied. A brilliant smile graced Kurama's lips. He abandoned his breakfast and stood just enough to lean over the table and kiss my lips lovingly.

I was blushing as he pulled away. Kurama's smile just grew wider as he resumed enjoying his breakfast, but neither of us said another word. Once we had finished breakfast, I helped Kurama clear the table and wash the dishes. By then, the rain had finally stopped. Kurama kissed me goodbye and I left the apartment and headed toward spirit world. I decided to make a quick visit to the Makai first.

I had decided to sell a few of the baubles I had stashed away from my days as a thief. It took me a few hours to locate the items I wanted to sell, but it took no time at all for the reliable fence I was using to sell them. They were worth quite a bit on the black market. Kurama and I could live comfortably on the money for quite sometime if we chose.

With my task accomplished, I began making my way toward Spirit World. Koemna had agreed to arrange for me to have every bit of paperwork necessary for me to live in the human world. He had also recruited a new group of Spirit Detectives and needed someone to train them in combat. Naturally, he had thought of me.

The Makai sky seemed to be mirroring that of the human world that day, for it looked as though a storm would break at any moment. I cursed, knowing I would never make it to Spirit World without getting completely drenched if that should happen. As I entered the forest I began looking for shelter, knowing there were caves, caverns and other structures around to offer shelter during a storm there.

Just as the first few drops of rain began to fall I spotted a cave and sped toward it. The downpour began only a heartbeat after I had found shelter and I knew it could be hours before the rain stopped. With a sigh I went a bit deeper into the cave, but not so far that I could not see outside and sat down on the cold earth. I created a small fire of dark flames for warmth and stretched out near it. Before long I began to feel sleep trying to claim me and I let it, not having anything else to do.

_Kurama emerged from the lake, the full moon highlighted the glistening drops of water as they slid off his well sculpted body. I envied those tiny bits of water for I wished to touch the fox and caress his body just as they had, sliding down the broad chest over his flat abdomen, down his beautifully sculpted legs. His sliver fox's ears suddenly were at attention. His furry fox's tail moved to cover his impressive manhood. _

_I swallowed hard, knowing that I was caught. "Kuronue, you can come out. I know you're there," he said softly. I sighed and emerged from my hiding place, a group of large boulders. His lips were taught, a sure sign that he was not pleased. "You were watching me bathe, why?" he demanded. "You're quite pleasing to the eye. I found that I could not look away once I set eyes on you," I said. "For my intrusion, I am truly sorry," I apologized. _

_I approached him and reached out to caress his cheek. He slapped my hand away. "Find a whore to sate your lust. I'm not interested," he hissed. "Kurama, I'm not just after sex," I said. "That's all you seem to be interested in at the moment," he responded. Anger welled up in me. "For your information Kurama, I happen to be in love with you," I snapped. "I won't lie and say I don't want to have sex with you, but I want more than that. I want to be your partner in life as well as in crime," I said. _

_His golden eyes softened. "I'm sorry for snapping at you Kuronue. It's just that I've been propositioned so many times ..." He apologized. I placed my index finger on his lips preventing him from speaking. "I'm not after a one night stand. I want to be your lover if you'll have me," I said then gently kissed his lips. "Kuro, I can't," he said softly once the kiss was broken. _

_My heart was shattered. After pining for the handsome silver haired fox demon for years, I'd finally worked up the nerve to tell him how I felt, only to be rejected. I pulled away from him and turned to walk away. His hand upon my arm stopped me. _

_"Kuro," he began softly. I cut him off. "You don't have to say anything Kurama. You don't love me the same way I do you," I responded. "But, I do," he said softly. I turned to face him. "I wasn't really angry at you for watching me bathe, I was angry at myself," He said. "I knew you were here the whole time but I did not tell you to go away. In fact, I nearly invited you in with me," he confessed. "Then why did you refuse me?" I asked. "My last relationship ended very badly. I'm not ready to give my heart again," he answered. I kissed his lips lovingly. "When you are ready, I will be waiting," I said._

_Days passed since my confession, things had become awkward between me and the fox but as the days melted into weeks and the weeks became months, it was as if I had never professed my love for him. We were as close as always and became even closer. Still, I could not help but wish that we would become more than just friends. _

_Several months after I revealed my true feelings for Kurama my wish was finally granted. _

_The calm and peacefulness of the lake surrounded me as I bathed in it's cool waters, yet none of that calm peacefulness had rubbed off on me. My thoughts were on a certain silver haired fox who had not yet returned from scouting out our next heist. I frowned as I looked up at the setting sun. Kurama should have been back ages ago. "Maybe he's back at the den," I thought hopefully. "He may have sensed me out here and let me have my privacy," I reasoned. Still, my fears were not quelled. I knew that I would not stop worrying about the handsome fox until I laid eyes upon him and saw for myself that he was alright. "I'd better go look for him," I decided as I began wading toward the shore. _

_A splash caught my attention and I turned to see what had made it. I saw a large shape swimming swiftly toward me. I cursed, knowing I had left my weapons on the shore. I wasn't sure what was coming toward me, but I was pretty much defenseless against it._

_Kurama surfaced a short distance away. It was he that had made the splash and was swimming toward me. I was relieved to see he was perfectly fine, but felt foolish for worrying over him and annoyed that he had cloaked his energy and had given me such a scare. _

_"You could have let me know you were back instead of cloaking your energy," I said crossly. "I wanted to surprise you," he said. "When I didn't find you in the den, I figured you were here and decided to join you," he added. _

_I could feel my irritation melting with each heartbeat. I knew I wouldn't stay mad at him. "I'm sorry if I frightened you Kuro," he said softly as he moved closer. "Let me make it up to you," he said. "Turn around and let me do your back," he requested. I hesitated, my back was probably not a good place to let the fox touch me. The space between my wings was very sensitive and was one of my major erogenous zones. If he were to caress that spot the right way, there would be no hiding my arousal. Kurama would know by my scent alone. He took the washrag from my hand and swam behind me to wash my back. It seemed I had no choice in the matter. He was determined to make up for scaring me. I was just going to have to make the best of it. "Just be careful near my wings," I said. "I will," Kurama assured me. _

_With great gentleness he swept aside my wet hair and washed my shoulders and upper back. I bit my lip as he brought the cloth to the space on my back between my wings._

_Pleasurable sensations went through my body like lightning. I fought not to moan, but failed as Kurama gently caressed the spot where my left wing extended from my back with his bare hands. "Stop," I groaned out. Immediately his hands stilled. "What's wrong? Did I hurt you?" he asked as he moved to face me. "No," I panted. Kurama looked me over, concern evident in his golden eyes. "Then why did you stop me?" he asked. "Don't play innocent Kurama. You were trying to seduce me," I hissed. Kurama narrowed his eyes at me. "I was doing nothing of the sort," he growled back. "I was only massaging your back," he protested. I immediately felt guilty for saying such things. I knew he wasn't trying to seduce me, I was angry at myself for letting him wash my back when I knew what would happen. I sighed. "I'm sorry Kurama. I shouldn't have said that .It's just that spot is_ very sensitive_," I said. Kurama nodded. "Like my tail?" he asked. I smiled as I remembered that little lesson. "Exactly," I replied. Kurama's cheeks reddened. "Why didn't you warn me?" he asked. "I would have been more careful," he said. "I did tell you to be careful near my wings," I said. _

_Kurama reached out and gently caressed my cheek. "I'm sorry. I should have been more careful," he said softly. He leaned toward me and pressed his lips to mine in a shy, tentative kiss. I blinked in surprise at him. "So, does this mean that you're ready to give us a chance?" I asked. He kissed me again, this time it wasn't at all shy and there wasn't a trace of hesitancy. The kiss was gentle and loving. "Yes, if you will still have me," he said. I kissed him this time. Finally, I was going to be with the man I loved. _

_I parted my lips from his and began planting soft kisses upon his neck. "It seems that _you_ are trying to seduce _me_," he said huskily as I slipped my arms around his waist. "You're the man I love, why shouldn't I seduce you?" I replied. "Besides, after the wonderful sensations from you massaging my wing, I have you to thank for my _discomfort_," I murmured as I brushed against him. Kurama smiled mischievously. "No courtship before sex?" he asked teasingly. "Kurama, we've known each other for decades and been in love with one another for who knows how long. You've courted me long enough," I said. Kurama chuckled. "Only you, would regard our partnership in crime as courtship," he said._

_I captured his lips in a heated kiss and ran my fingertips down his back. He moaned softly into the kiss as I grazed the base of his tail with my nails. We broke the kiss panting heavily. "Let's continue this back in the den," he suggested. We waded to the shore. I sat down on the shore bringing Kurama down with me. I placed my hand upon his chest and ran my hands slowly over his well sculpted chest. I captured one of his nipples and sucked gently as I circled it my tongue, eliciting a moan from Kurama. After working it into hardened nub I withdrew, but before I could turn my attention to the other one I found myself on my back. Kurama kissed me lovingly and gently grasped my manhood. With firm strokes he brought me pleasure I had only dreamed about. His warm mouth suddenly took the place of his hand and I cried out. I buried my hands in his hair helplessly moaning and writhing as Kurama caused pleasurable sensations that rebounded throughout my body. He played my body like a well tuned instrument, and all of me was singing his praises. His name came roaring from my lips as I reached my climax. _

_Kurama licked his lips and grinned at me. "My, you're a vocal one," he purred. "I wonder what other wonderful sounds I could get out of you," he said huskily. I was panting hard, trying to catch my breath. "Oh no you don't foxy, It's my turn to make _you_ scream," I murmured. Kurama smirked and laid on his back, slowly spreading his legs in invitation. "Well then, come and try," he challenged. I licked my lips and smiled wickedly at him. I was going to make him scream my name if it was the last thing I ever did._

_For several years, I was Kurama's lover. He treated me as though I was his mate, though we had never made any such vows of fidelity to each other. It didn't really matter, we were content with each other and needed no one else. I didn't feel the need for such vows or being Kurama's mate in both name and deed. The fox's love was enough for me. However, I felt that Kurama would have liked to officially have me as his mate and so I decided to find a token worthy of giving him and propose. Unfortunately, I never got the chance._

_Kurama and I had broken in to the castle of a minor Makai lord. We had gotten the item we had come in for, a mirror rumored to show the future when you looked into it. Neither Kurama or I believed that it had such power, but nevertheless it would bring a hefty price. Getting in had been easy, but as we made our way out with our prize the guards had somehow been alerted to our presence and we found ourselves running for our lives. I realized that it had been a trap all along. We had been set up. _

_Bamboo sprang from the ground, I tried as best I could to dodge the plants as they erupted from the ground. Kurama, was having much better luck than I. I was having too many close calls for comfort and would be glad when we shook these guards off our trail. Kurama glanced at me over his shoulder and gave a slight nod, the signal to split up. I readied myself to run to the right when one of the bamboo plants hit their mark, and I cried out in agony as it pierced my ankle. Kurama's eyes widened, horrified at what he was seeing. "Go, save yourself," I called to him. He looked torn and I knew that he did not want to leave me. "Leave me," I hissed. "I'm as good as dead, I don't want you caught as well," I said. Kurama's eyes glistened with tears, but he ran. A moment later, the one who had set the trap appeared. A lovely, dark haired vixen. My eyes widened in surprise, I had seen her before, but where? Then suddenly it hit me. Leiko! She had come to end my life yet again. "I will be back again," I vowed, "and next time, _I _won't be the one to die,"_

_I walked into an all too familiar office. Anger reverberated throughout my being. I had been taken from Kurama again! Koemna looked up from his papers. "So we meet again Sakura, or should I call you Kuronue?" Koemna greeted. "Why did you take me from him again?" I demanded. "I have no control over that. I only deal with what happens _at_ and _after_ death, not the time of death itself," Koemna said. "Send me back," I demanded. "This may be the last time I can do that. Your crimes were not enough to weigh against the good you did in life, so once again you belong in paradise, not back among the living. If I were to send you back and you again deserve to move on to the afterlife I'll have to send you to your rightful place," Koemna warned. I shuddered at that information. If I were to start another life, I would not remember Koemna's warning and could very well end up right here again and being forced to move on to the afterlife where I would have to wait for Kurama to join me, that was the last thing I wanted. If Kurama did not yet earn his eternal reward who knew how many lifetimes I would have to wait or worse yet, if I royally screwed up next time I could risk eternal punishment and I would be without my beloved. That was what I feared the most. _

"_Is there any way I won't be parted from him again, even in death?" I asked. Koemna's expression saddened. "Your soul must be bonded with his. It's something that rarely happens but if you and Kurama managed to form such a bond, then I cannot separate you," he informed me. "How can we form such a bond?" I asked, intrigued at such a notion. "It will happen on it's own if it is meant to be," Koemna said. I frowned. "Koemna, is there any way you can ensure that I stay alive long enough to die with my mate this time?" I asked. "No, I can't _ensure_ anything, but I will help as much as I can," he said. _

I awoke still shaking with the fear and anger Kuronue had felt. A hissed curse slipped from my lips. First I was reliving Sakura's memories, now I was reliving Kuronue's. They had not stopped plaguing since we had left Kiyoshi. Were these visions some type of warning or were they something else entirely? Koemna seemed to be the only one who could help me figure out the answer to that question. I looked out the mouth of the cave. The rain had stopped. I raced toward Spirit World hoping Koemna could help me get some answers.

Koemna looked up as I entered his office. "Hiei, what brings you here?" he asked in surprise. "I want you to tell me about Kurama's mate, Sakura," I responded. Koemna's brow creased. "What specifically do you want to know about her?" he asked. "She was reincarnated as Kuronue, was she reincarnated again after that?" I questioned. Koemna looked even more surprised that I knew this information. He nodded slowly. "Who did she become?" I demanded. Koemna sighed. "You might want to sit down for this," he said. The tone of his voice was tense and I knew he feared my reaction to whatever he was going to tell me next. I took his advice and sat down. "Sakura became Kuronue, and she is now you," he answered. "You're saying that_ I_ was Sakura _and _Kuronue?" I asked. "Yes," Koemna answered.

"You're sure about this?" I asked him. "Absolutely," Koemna answered. I slumped in my chair. I had wondered if the memories had been mine, but to have it confirmed was still a shock. Koemna looked concerned, his brown eyes clouding with worry. "Hiei, are you alright?" Koemna asked. "Kurama and I have been together in all three of my lifetimes, he never stopped loving me," I murmured. Koemna smiled. "No, he hasn't," He agreed. "The fact that you found Kurama both times you were reincarnated is incredible in itself, but the fact that you two fell in love both times is even more so," He said. "Why?, Kurama and I were in love when I was Sakura, wouldn't he have loved me in any life that follows?" I asked. Koemna shook his head. "It doesn't work like that Hiei," he said. "When you are reborn, you get a clean slate, you develop different tastes, different talents, different personalities, and as I've told you before, just because you found love in one life you may not love that same person in the next," he said. "But it does happen?" I asked. Koemna nodded. "Very rarely," he said. "It may be that you two were meant for each other," he said.

"How did you know about your past lives?" Koemna asked. "Some of my memories resurfaced when we were in Kiyoshi. I wasn't sure why I was seeing these memories in my dreams until now," I replied. "Perhaps, those memories resurfaced to tell you something important. There are cases of those who have retained some of their memories of past lives, but it hasn't occurred in a demon, at least not to my knowledge," he said.

I thought about what he had said and it made sense. There was only one thing that I could think of that these memories could be warning me about. "Leiko," I said. "She murdered Sakura and Kuronue she may try to end my life yet again," I told him. Koemna frowned. "I'll have to get someone stationed in Kiyoshi to keep an eye on her," he said. "What about the fox's sister?" I suggested. "Kurama probably won't like that but I'll ask her, there are a few others as well I could recruit," he replied.

I stood and headed for the door. "Are you alright Hiei?" he asked for the second time. "I will be," I replied. I left his office and headed toward home. I wondered how Kurama would take the news. Would he be glad to find out that I had once been Sakura, and Kuronue? I was still having trouble believing it myself.

I was shocked to find the lights on in the apartment and realized with a start that it was evening. Kurama must have just returned Kimi to Yusuke and gotten the mail while he was out. He was sorting though the mail. He looked up as I entered and smiled. His smile quickly faded as he took a good look at my face. "What's wrong love?" he asked. I shut the door behind me and sat down on the couch. Kurama set aside the mail and sat down next to me, knowing something was wrong. His concerned expression made me smile inwardly. I was lucky to have such a caring man, even luckier to have been his not once, not twice, but three times.

"I've been having some strange dreams ever since we went to Kiyoshi. It turns out they weren't dreams but memories of past lives," I told him. "You have lived before," he murmured. I nodded. "You knew me in fact," I said. "You once called me a vicious little vixen," I added. Kurama's eyes widened. "_You_ were Sakura?" he whispered. "In my first life, I was your mate, In my second your lover," I informed him. "Inari-sama, you were Sakura and Kuronue?" he asked. I nodded. "No wonder you were in such a state when you arrived," he said. "Then Maknio was right about you being my true mate after all," he whispered. "What does that mean anyway?" I asked him. "You don't remember?" he asked. "I only have a few memories of my past lives fox," I replied. "Well, it's like what humans call a soul mate, someone who is bonded to you not just in heart but in spirit as well," he said. "You believe that we share such a bond?" I asked. "It's certainly a good chance that we do," he replied.

He smiled and pulled me to him. "I just hope that in our next lives we'll be together again once more," he murmured. "I do not wish to be parted from you, even in death," he said. "Next life?" I asked. "When a demon dies they are judged in spirit world. If they are deemed worthy of eternal paradise then they move on to the afterlife, if they fall short and are not so truly wicked that they are beyond redemption they begin a new life to try again, however if they are so beyond redemption that they could not ever achieve it, then they are cast into a hell far worse than the one we were born into," he explained. "I did not want to tempt fate and risk eternal damnation when I was shot by the hunter so I cheated death and became Shiori Minamino's son," he said.

Kurama pulled me into his arms. I relaxed into his embrace. For a long while we just sat like that content to be with one another. He leaned close and captured my lips in a long, loving kiss. "I loved you when you were Sakura, I loved you when you were Kuronue, and I love you now," he said telepathically. I smiled. "I know Fox. I love you too, enough to come back for you not once but twice and if the worst should happen I would fight to return to you yet again," I replied. Kurama hugged me tight and kissed me again. This time it was one of his heart stopping, toe curling, kisses that I loved for him to give. I did not hesitate to kiss him back, though I still had a long way to go to make him feel the same effects his kisses had on me. "You're wonderfully romantic sometimes, you know that?" he murmured. "If that's my reward every time I say something romantic, I should do it more often," I replied. Kurama smiled wickedly. "Just you wait, the rewards just keep getting better," he purred. "I look forward to it," I replied, meaning it wholeheartedly


	10. Chapter 9

Love, everlasting

Part 4: Some Secrets Can't be Kept

By Yami Yue

The phone rang waking me from my peaceful slumber. I glared at the loathsome human device, annoyed that it had awakened me. Kurama sighed and sat up to answer it. "Hello?" he said into the receiver. "Hello mother," he said after listening for a moment. I watched as his brows knitted together for a heartbeat, a slight frown tugging at his lips. "I'll ask him when he wakes up," he said softly. "Yes, I'll be there," he said. A smile graced his lips. "I love you too, tell Father I said hello," he said before hanging up the phone.

He glanced over at me and kissed my lips. "Sleep well love?" he asked. I nodded. "Your mother checking up on you?" I inquired. "Yes, she wanted to know if you would join us for dinner Sunday evening," he told me. I looked at him in surprise. He had to be kidding. He leaned in and kissed my lips gently . "Please, Mother wants so much for you to come," he said and kissed me again. "It would mean a lot to me as well," he continued.

I sighed. "Alright," I agreed. A brilliant smile lit up my fox's face and I couldn't help but smile back. "Thank you for agreeing to have dinner with my family," he said. "There's no need to thank me..." I began. " I know but it means a lot to me and mother too," he said. He closed the distance between us and gently kissed my lips in thanks. "Aren't you glad you decided to move in with me?" he asked once he had broken the kiss. I smirked. "It does have it's benefits," I agreed. He smiled and stretched. "I guess I'd better get my shower before I'm late for work," he sighed. I laid back and closed my eyes.

I was pleased with my newfound good fortune. Yet, I was afraid that it would not last. In the past, whenever something good happened to me, it didn't last. I was afraid that even though Kurama loved me, I would eventually loose him.

That Sunday evening, just as Kurama had promised his mother, we joined his human family for dinner. Things were going well, and we were enjoying the meal when Shiori turned the conversation to a dangerous topic.

I have never seen you so happy Shuichi," Shiori said "Is there some young lady I should know about?" she asked. Kurama nearly choked on his food. " What?" he sputtered. "Your mother's right, you look like a man in love," his stepfather agreed. Kurama's cheeks reddened and he looked away from the both of them. "I assure you there is no young lady in my life," Kurama said. Shiori sighed softly. "You work too hard sweetheart, it would do you some good to find some nice young lady to spend some time with," she said. Kurama sighed. "I know you mean well Mother, but I couldn't be happier with my life right now," Kurama said gently. " Shiori, Shuichi will find someone in good time," her husband said. "Let the boy eat in peace," he teased. Kurama gave his stepfather a grateful smile and the conversation was steered toward a less dangerous topic.

Once the meal was over Kurama and I cleared the table, despite his mother's protests. Shiori and her husband remained at the table, leaving Kurama alone with me for the moment. I watched him as he washed the dishes. It was no wonder his mother and stepfather knew he was lovestruck. Joy practically radiated from him. Still, there was a little sorrow as well. He hated the fact that we had to hide our true relationship. He had said so on more than one occasion. He especially hated hiding it from his human family, but feared they would disown him if they knew the truth.

"You wanted to tell her, didn't you?" I asked once we had finished the dishes. Kurama sighed. "Yes," he said. "I can't though. There's no telling how they'd react," he continued softly. "You will still have me," I said. Before I could stop him, Kurama's lips were on mine in a loving kiss. "Sorry, I couldn't resist," he said sheepishly as he pulled away. He was probably expecting me to be angry, but I couldn't be. In fact, I had been aching to feel his lips against mine all evening. "I know, just be more careful, your mother or stepfather could have seen us," I replied. He lifted his eyes and suddenly paled. "Too late," he murmured. I turned and saw Kurama's mother and stepfather standing in the doorway staring at us in shock.

"How long has this been going on?" she asked. Kurama swallowed hard. He pulled me close to him, weather it was a possessive gesture or an attempt to be comforted by my presence I didn't know. "Six months," Kurama answered. "You were right. I am in love, but not with a young woman, but with a wonderful young man," he said softly. Shiori was at a loss for words, but it was clear from the expression on her face that she wasn't just shocked by her son's admission, she was grief stricken. "Excuse us," Kurama said quietly. Shiori and her husband moved aside to let us pass. Kurama took me by the hand and led me out of the kitchen. He didn't let go of my hand until we reached the front door. We hurriedly slipped on our shoes and got into Kurama's car. Without a word he drove off.

The ride home was silent and tense. Kurama's face was unreadable; his eyes stared strait ahead at the road ahead. It wasn't until we were in our apartment with the door firmly shut behind us that Kurama dropped his impassive mask. He slumped down onto the couch covering his face with his hands. I sat down beside him and put my arms around him. "I've lost them," he whispered. My heart ached for him. I knew exactly what he was feeling. Though they had not cast him out there and then, Kurama was sure that his family had abandoned him, just as the band of thieves that had raised me and had been my family had abandoned me.

"What if we ended this now, would they once again accept you?" I asked. "So, you will turn your back on me too?" he hissed. He lifted his head and met my gaze with his own. His eyes were feral, wild and filled with pain and anger. He grasped my wrists tightly. "Don't you dare leave me now," he growled. " I swear I will spend every waking moment tracking you down until I have you back," he said. There was no doubt in my mind he was serious and would indeed do as he said. "Relax Fox, I don't _want _to leave you, but if we have to wait until you return to the Makai for good ..." I said, trying to soothe him.

My words seemed to sink in and he relaxed in my arms. I thought for sure it was over between us. Kurama loved his family dearly. If ending our relationship would make things right again wouldn't he do so? "Do you want to stay with me?" he asked softly. "You know I do," I said. "Really? It sounds as if you're trying to find a reason to leave," He responded. I stared at him dumbfounded.

I narrowed my eyes at him in anger. "If I didn't want to be with you ,I would not have stayed here with you for the past six months, nor gone with you to your mother's for those family dinners we've been attending every Sunday since I've been here. I love you and though it would kill me to wait for you in the Makai for who knows how many years I would do so if it helped makes things right with your family," I growled.

Kurama stared at me for a moment, completely dumbfounded. For a moment, he did not speak, but a soft smile played upon his lips for a brief moment. _"_I'm sorry love," Kurama said softly. "I didn't mean what I said. I'm just so angry, hurt and afraid right now I lashed out at you," he said. Kurama sighed, his eyes welling with tears. I held him tight to me. He rested his head on my chest and let his tears flow.

It seemed like forever before they stopped, but in actuality it had been mere hours. "There's no sense in us staying here any longer," Kurama said sadly. "Let's go back to the Makai, for good this time," he suggested. "What about your mother, your stepfather and your stepbrother? You intend to just leave them behind and never see them again?" I asked. "What good would it do me to stay Hiei? Now that they know about us they won't want anything to do with us," he answered. "You don't know that. Give them some time and they may come around," I said. Kurama gave me a skeptical look but said nothing for a moment. "Alright, we'll give it some time," he agreed.

Kurama closed his eyes reddened and swollen from weeping. "Let's go to bed," I suggested. He silently agreed and we went into our bedroom changed into our sleepwear and climbed into bed. Kurama kissed me softly as he did each night. I returned the gesture and relaxed as he put his arms around me. "I'm sorry to have caused so much trouble love," he whispered. "They would have discovered the truth sooner or later," I replied. "Inari, I don't want to face my stepfather at work in the morning," he groaned. "Then don't go," I replied. "I used up all my vacation time while we were on that mission for Koemna, so I can't ask for more, but I could call in sick," he said. "Maybe I should just quit altogether," he sighed. "Don't decide that now, get some sleep and let's make our plans for the future tomorrow," I said. I received no answer, the fox had fallen asleep.

The next morning Kurama had called in sick for the week. In a way it was the truth. He was brokenhearted, as if his family had disowned him, though in truth they had not yet done so. He was hurting and completely convinced that his family had turned their backs on him and no longer wanted him. I tried my best to lift his spirits and ebb some of his pain but I could not.

As the days passed his sadness grew. Before long I had to coax him to eat and even then he would eat very little. He tossed and turned at night, getting very little sleep.

By the middle of the week I was at my wit's end. He refused to eat at all despite all my efforts to convince him to do so. He'd even stopped caring about his appearance, leaving his silky red locks uncombed. I began brushing his ruby mane for him, which seemed to soothe him. The fox's depressed mood was starting to honestly scare me. If it went on any longer he would let himself waste away. Frustrated and at my wit's end I decided to go to the ones that could help me end this madness, Shiori and her husband.

One evening while Kurama was napping I slipped out of the apartment and went to his mother's house. I took a deep breath and knocked on the front door hoping that I would be allowed inside. Shiori opened the door. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw me. "Hiei, what brings you here?" she asked. "We need to talk," I said. "Come in," she said. I entered the house and she shut the door behind me. Her husband who was sitting in the living room was as surprised to see me as Shiori had been.

Shiori took a seat beside her husband on the couch, and motioned for me to sit down as well. "What did you come to speak to us about?" Shiori asked as I took a seat opposite them. "Your son," I answered. Their expressions were fearful. "Is he alright?" Kurama's stepfather asked. "He called in sick this week, but I thought he was just angry with us," he said. "He is angry more at himself than he is at you," I told them. "He's depressed, and I might have made things worse by suggesting he not go to work," I sighed. "He's miserable and I don't know what to do anymore. Nothing I've tried seems to work. He hardly eaten anything since yesterday and last night I'm sure he didn't sleep at all," I told them. Shiori looked as though she was going to cry. "I should have said something to him. I was so shocked at seeing him kiss you my mind froze. I should have stopped him from going out that door. My poor baby is hurt because of my thoughtlessness," she said. Her husband put his arm around her to comfort her. "You were taught that a relationship like mine with your son is wrong, correct?" I asked. They both nodded. "Yet you still love him?" I inquired. "Of course," Shiori said. "Good, you need to let him know that," I said. "This rift between you has lasted long enough. Don't let your beliefs tear apart your family," I said.

"Is that what happened with your family?" Shiori asked. I nodded slowly. It was exactly what had happened with my family. The elders had believed that my mother's love for me and my father were forbidden. They also believed that I should not have been born and had tried to rectify that and failed. As a result my mother ended up dying believing that I was dead, and though I knew nothing of my father, it would not have surprised me a bit to learn that he too had perished. "Yes," I answered. A pained look must have crossed my face for a brief moment, for Shiori gently squeezed my hand.

"You really do love my son don't you?" she asked. I smiled softly and nodded. "Very much," I assured her. She seemed to think about it for a moment as she studied me intently. "I should be getting back to him," I said as I stood. "We could give you a ride," Kurama's stepfather offered. I was going to reject the offer but this whole ordeal had left me feeling drained. Besides, if I could get them all together maybe this foolishness could be put to rest. I nodded my consent

I went up to the apartment first, eager to make sure Kurama was alright. He was not on the sofa where I'd left him. I heard shuffling around in the bedroom. Kurama was standing in front of his bookshelf. He took one book from the shelf and then another and added them to a small pile of belongings on the bed. More confusing than what he was doing was the fact he was in his true form, his tail lashing to and fro in obvious agitation. "What are you doing?" I asked him. He turned to look at me. "We're leaving," He said. "Not before you talk to your family," I responded. His energy was erratic and I realized that was the reason his form had shifted. His emotional state had raised the level of his energy. "I woke up earlier and you were gone. Where were you?" he demanded, changing the subject. "Doesn't matter," I replied. "What do you mean _it doesn't matter_?" he asked coolly. "Just what I said," I replied.

A gasp shifted our attention from our pointless squabbling. Shiori and her husband were standing in the doorway with their mouths agape. "Mother?" Kurama cried in surprise. He turned to me, his golden eyes hard with accusation. "You brought them here didn't you?" he asked. "You three need to talk," I replied. Kurama narrowed his eyes at me. "Why are you meddling in this. This is none of your concern," he hissed. I narrowed my eyes back at him, feeling my temper flare. "It involves _you_ which _makes_ it my concern," I hissed back. "Stop it you two," Shiori commanded. We both turned to look at her. Her expression was pained and she looked as though she would cry at any moment.

Kurama's agitated expression seemed to melt and he genuinely looked ashamed. He sat down on the bed and leaned forward slightly resting his elbows on his thigh, his head lowered and face covered by his hands. "Shuichi, is that really you?" his stepfather asked. A weary sigh escaped the fox's lips. "Yes," he whispered. Shiori sat down beside Kurama and slowly put her arms around him. The fox lifted his head and looked at her in surprise. "Sweetheart, don't be angry with Hiei, he just wanted to help," she said softly. "I know," he sighed and lowered his eyes refusing to look at her. "Why did you come?" he asked. "Hiei was concerned about you sweetheart, and frankly now we are too," Shiori replied. " After what happened the other night, I thought you wouldn't want anything to do with me," he said. Both Shiori and her husband looked stricken at his remark.

Cautiously, Kurama's stepfather sat down next to him on the bed and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Shuichi, your mother and I may not agree with your decision, but we have to accept the fact that it is _your_ decision to make," Kurama's stepfather said. "Sweetheart, we were shocked to learn that you have a boyfriend but we wouldn't shut you out because of it. We love you and nothing has changed that," Shiori said softly.

It took a moment for the words to sink in, but sink in they did. Kurama smiled for the first time in days and hugged his mother tightly. She smiled as well and kissed his forehead. It was clear that all was forgiven. "Now that we've gotten that settled, I really should apologize for not trying to talk to you before today. You left so quickly I thought you were angry with us," Shiori said. "I should apologize as well for thinking the worst of you when I should have tried to speak with you as well," Kurama said. "I know you were shocked to discover your son had a boyfriend," "I was even more shocked at your appearance when we arrived," She countered. "About that..." Kurama began. "Later sweetheart," Shiori said. "I'll go make some tea and we can talk about it," she said. She then took her husband by the hand and led him out of the room, leaving us alone.

Kurama looked over at me and held his hand out to me. I took it and he pulled me close. "I'm sorry about the way I've been acting lately," he said. I kissed his lips gently, relieved that they had managed to talk things out. "I'm just glad that things are back to normal," I said. "Well, not quite, but close enough," Kurama said. "At least I won't have to hide the truth from them anymore. I just hope they can accept the truth about who and what I am," he said. "I will be with you," I reminded him.

For a moment he was silent, just holding me close to him. He breathed a sigh of relief and nuzzled me affectionately. "Thank you," he said. "For what?" I asked. "For taking care of me, for being here for me, for keeping me from making a mistake I would have regretted for the rest of my life," he said. "I had to do something, I don't like seeing you so miserable," I replied. A brilliant smile lit up his face and he threw his arms around me and kissed me lovingly.

"I just hope they can accept what we truly are as well," he said with a sigh. "If they don't, you will still have me," I replied. Kurama smiled. "Yes and for that I am grateful," he said. "Come on, let's get this over with," he added. We stood and headed into the kitchen ready to face whatever reactions Kurama's mother and stepfather would have about our true nature together.

Chapter Two

After Kurama's mother and stepfather learned the truth about us, we decided to let Yusuke and the others in on our secret as well. To our relief, they were actually glad that we were now a couple. Oddly, Kuwabara didn't seem surprised. In fact, it was as if he was expecting the news. "He probably noticed there was a change in us," Kurama had said when I mentioned it to him.

After Kurama's ordeal with his family, I began to wonder if I should tell Yukina that I was the brother she had been searching for. When I began living with Kurama, I knew it would be a matter of time before she discovered the truth, or someone let it slip. I decided it was better that she hear the news from me. The only thing holding me back was my own fear. Yes, fear. I was afraid that my own sister would reject me, that she would hate me for not telling her the truth, that she wouldn't want me to be her brother. I was afraid that I would be a disappointment to her. Little did I realize how much it would mean to my sister to find the brother she so desperately sought.

_Kurama smiled over his shoulder at me as he turned on the shower. "Why don't you join me Hiei?" he asked. He stood and gave me a wicked smile as he turned and stepped toward me. I watched as he slowly slipped the boxers he had worn to bed down his hips, revealing his nude form in all its glory. He held out his hand, beckoning me to him. "Come join me," he purred as the other hand slowly began to explore his well-crafted body._

A soft thud jolted me out of my very pleasant dream. I opened my eyes sleepily and looked around the room. Kurama was not in bed next to me. I could hear the shower running in the bathroom. "He must have dropped something in the shower," I thought absently. The mental image of Kurama nude, bending over came unbidden to my mind. I blushed as I shook my head. "I'm going to need a cold shower when he gets out," I thought ruefully.

I yawned and stretched. I stared at nothing in particular, trying to calm my body. I didn't even hear the shower shut off but when the door to the bathroom opened and Kurama emerged I turned to face him. My eyes widened. The towel he had around his waist was barely enough to properly cover him. If he bent over I would see his backside. I bit my lip trying not to moan over that mental image. This was definitely _not_ helping matters.

Kurama bid me good morning as he toweled his hair dry. "Are you alright Hiei?" he asked. "Why are wearing next to nothing?" I blurted out. "My wearing a towel hasn't bothered you before," he responded, raising an eyebrow. "Fox what you're drying your hair with is a towel, that scrap of cloth around your waist is not," I said. Kurama was visibly holding back laughter as he tied the larger towel around his waist. He gave me a look as if to say "There, is that better?"

"Would you give me a hand with my hair ?" he asked. I motioned for him to sit on the floor in front of the bed. He grabbed his hairbrush off the dresser and handed it to me as he sat down on the floor in front of me. I raised my energy a bit as I ran the brush through his hair. I channeled a little heat into the brush, drying his hair as I brushed it. Kurama's eyes slid shut a soft smile upon his lips. "This is nice," he murmured. "I hope you're not expecting to make this a daily ritual," I said, knowing I didn't mean a word of it. "I'm not. I'm just enjoying it while it lasts," he replied, a soft smile on his lips. I wasn't fooling him. He knew I would brush his hair for him if he asked me to.

Once his hair was dry I set aside the brush. He stood with a sigh and gave me a kiss as thanks. He nuzzled my neck affectionately. "You're aroused," he murmured. "How could I not be with you wearing almost nothing," I replied. A soft smile tugged at his lips. His hand slipped beneath the covers and caressed the bulge forming in my boxers. "I can do something about this if you'd like," he said softly. I was a bit shocked at his offer. He'd been my boyfriend for several months, and this was the first time he'd made such a blatant offer or touched me in such a manner, and as good as Kurama's touch felt, I was nervous about accepting his offer. Still, I wanted to accept and feel more of that gentle touch.

"On second thought, maybe we shouldn't. I don't want the neighbors to _overhear _anything," he sighed. "Don't promise what you can't give Fox," I murmured. He smiled devilishly. "I didn't say I _couldn't_ I just said that I _shouldn't_, not here anyway," he replied. He studied my face for a moment. "Are you saying you would have accepted my _help _?" he asked. I answered his question by capturing his lips in a heated kiss, then slipped from his arms and headed for the bathroom for a cold shower.

Kurama was still smiling with satisfaction as he set my breakfast in front of me. "So, where would you like to go today?" he asked. It was Saturday, the one day of the week we usually spent the whole day alone with each other. Usually we went out for the day and spent the night relaxing at home. Today however, I wanted to do something different. "I want to finish what you started Fox," I murmured. Kurama's smile became devilish. "I know, but where?" he inquired. "Doesn't matter. You decide," I replied.

"It's such a nice day outside. I can make us a picnic lunch and we can spend the day in the forest outside town," he suggested. I nodded in agreement.

After we had finished our breakfast, I helped Kurama with the dishes then we made a picnic lunch of assorted cold foods which he packed in a cooler. When the food was all prepared and the mess cleaned up we headed out to Kurama's car and drove out of the city to a wooded area near Genkai's temple.

Kurama and I walked hand in hand through the forest until the fox spotted a clearing. Deciding it was a good place to set up our picnic, he laid out the blanket and set the cooler on it. "Shall we spar for a while?" Kurama asked. I nodded, the activity would definitely work up an appetite, and a workout was always welcome.

We walked a short distance away from the picnic blanket and faced one another. With only a glance and a slight nod we began. This was to be a hand to hand combat practice with neither of us using our abilities. Kurama moved swiftly, being used to my speed his had improved to keep up with me. He dodged most of my attacks with flips, twists and turns that would make a dancer green with envy. Suddenly, he lunged at me and the next thing I knew I was on my back with Kurama straddling my waist. I blinked up at him as he pinned my arms to the ground with his. He smiled down at me and leaned in closer. "Looks like I win this round," he panted. A smile slowly graced my lips. "So it does," I replied.

He was flushed from the exertion and his long red hair was windblown. His eyes were sparkling with triumph and his smile was genuine. I found it all irresistible and leaned my head up and pressed my lips to his in a soft kiss. Kurama deepened the kiss and his hands slid down my arms to my chest. He caressed my chest through the material of my shirt. At that moment I wanted it off. I wanted to feel his hands against my bare skin. I reached down to grab the hem of the offensive garment to pull it off, but Kurama grasped my hand and placed it back over my head. "If you want the shirt off Darkfire, just say so," he murmured. "You already know what I want, I don't need to say it," I replied. Kurama smiled, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "I just happened to make a good guess," he said. "Still, I want to hear it from your lips," "Just take off the shirt," I said. Kurama chuckled. "As you wish," he said.

He sat up and began unbuttoning his shirt. I watched transfixed as he slowly undid each button and sensuously parted the fabric before letting it slide down his arms. He tossed it aside. "Not what I meant Fox, but good idea," I murmured. "You didn't say which shirt you wanted off," he teased. I glared at him but it melted as he leaned forward and kissed my lips. His hands slid under the material of the shirt I was wearing and began sliding it up my abdomen. When he broke the kiss he removed the shirt entirely. "Better?" he asked. "Much," I replied. He leaned forward once again and began planting gentle kisses upon my now bare chest. A soft gasp of surprise escaped my lips as his warm tongue brushed against my nipple. He swirled his tongue around the sensitive flesh before covering it with his lips and gently sucking.

Using his lips and tongue he worked my nipple into a hardened peak. My eyes slid shut enjoying the pleasant sensations that coursed through me. It felt good, far better than I imagined. I moaned softly, encouraging him. He released the now hardened nub, much to my dismay, but when he gently blew upon it I shivered and slowly opened my eyes. His deep green eyes locked onto mine, love and lust shone clearest among all the swirling emotions I saw there. "More," I whispered, and that seemed to be all he was waiting for. He dipped his head and began his pleasurable torture on the other nipple making me writhe and moan beneath him as he worked it into a hardened nub. When he had completed his task, he released it from his lips and began trailing kisses down the rest of my chest, down my abdomen, stopping at the hem of my pants.

I realized that his eyes had not left my face, he'd been gauging my reactions to what he was doing, ensuring that I was enjoying what he was doing. His expression was completely serious now. "Do you want me to stop?" he asked. "I meant what I said when I told you that I would not go farther than what you are ready for," he said. "If I wanted you to stop, I would have said so," I replied. Kurama gave me a devious smile. "Good, because I don't think I could have resisted you much longer," he murmured huskily.

He sat back on his haunches to remove my shoes and socks. His nimble fingers made short work of my belt. As he unbuttoned my pants and slowly pulled the zipper down my heart was pounding in my ears. I hoped that I would not prove to be a disappointment to my fox. I lifted my hips as he pulled my pants down, and in a moment they were off and I was laid bare to him. His eyes slowly looked me up and down and, blushing I looked away. He gently caressed my cheek, causing me to look at him. "You're beautiful Hiei," he murmured. I could feel my cheeks heat even more, but there was no doubt that he was telling the truth. His eyes showed his love and pleasure.

He kissed me gently and trailed kisses down my neck, over my collarbones, down the center of my chest with a brief detour to lick at my nipples, down my abdomen and over my hipbones. I couldn't help but moan as his soft lips brushed against the heated flesh between my legs. His warm tongue gently caressed the underside of my manhood and I moaned as my eyes slid closed. "You like that?" Kurama's husky voice rang in my ears. "Yes," I groaned. Suddenly my sensitive flesh was encased in warmth. I gasped and my eyes flew open.

Kurama's name fell from my lips in a long moan. He used his lips tongue and teeth to drive me to pleasure induced madness and I loved every moment. His gentle caresses upon my body with his hands and the way he made love to me with his mouth was like nothing I'd ever felt before. I was as close to heaven as I ever hoped to get. I was completely under Kurama's control and I loved it.

I could feel my climax coming and with a loud cry of Kurama's name I came violently. I was panting heavily, trying to catch my breath. I could feel Kurama's tongue gently licking my oversensitive sex. He smiled at me and licked his lips, looking like the cat that had just eaten a particularly delicious canary. He laid down next to me and kissed my cheek. "I've been wanting to do that for a long time," he purred. "It was well worth the wait," he sighed. It was then I noticed that he was still wearing his pants and shoes. "You're still clothed Fox," I said. I reached out and touched the obvious bulge in his pants. "You're still hard too," I noted. Kurama bucked into my hand. "Sounds as though you want to do something about it," he said huskily. "I'd like to try," I replied.

I did not have the experience that the fox had when it came to sex, but I was willing to try and give him pleasure. After all it wouldn't be fair for me not to at least try when he had given me such mind numbing bliss. Kurama smiled and kissed me hungrily. He then sat up and removed his socks and shoes. He stood and began walking toward the blanket he had laid out. He stopped just short of the blanket. With his back turned to me he slowly slid his pants down his hips, revealing his wonderfully sculpted backside. He stepped out of his pants and boxers and laid down on the blanket. He slowly spread his long legs in a very sexy invitation. "Come, do what you wish," he beckoned.

I rose and joined him on the blanket. Our lips met in a passionate kiss. I ran my hand slowly over his well built chest. Gently I caressed the sensitive nipples making him moan softly into the kiss. When we parted I planted soft kisses upon his neck nipping at his throat. He moaned softly and arched his neck, exposing it further to me. It was clear that he liked the gentle nip and I made sure to remember that for the future.

I mimicked what he had done to me kissing my way down his neck, over his collarbones, and down the center of his chest. I stopped to lick, nip and suck at his nipples. He bucked into me brushing his hardened manhood against my body. "Hiei, please," He pleaded. Given the tone of his plea, I guessed he must be close to his own climax and decided to give him what he wanted.

I knelt between his legs and gently grasped the hardened flesh before me. I slipped my lips over the tip, caressing it with my tongue. Kurama moaned softly, encouraging me. Slowly I took him into my mouth and began caressing his chest. His moans grew louder as I worshipped his body with my hands, lips, and tongue. The erotic sounds of his pleasured moans and cries were making me hard all over again.

"_Turn that sexy body of yours around," _Kurama purred mentally. I blushed at his words but complied, releasing him long enough to turn my body around so that my backside was facing him. "Like this?" I asked. "Yes," Kurama murmured. I didn't know why he wanted me to turn this way, but soon after I slipped my lips around his manhood again I found out. His lips enveloped my manhood and I moaned around his as he began to pleasure me once again. He in turn moaned as well, causing vibrations to go up my shaft adding to my pleasure. I continued to mimic Kurama's actions, nipping licking and sucking until I felt his manhood twitch in my mouth before his seed erupted from him. A moment later, my own climax reached me and I came for a second time.

We lay beside one another panting, as we came down from our pleasure induced high. Kurama changed his position so that we were face to face. "I don't know weather to be extremely pleased or jealous," he said. "That was incredible, where did you learn to do that?" he asked. "I was only doing what you did," I replied. Kurama smiled. "You're a fast learner, I'll have to teach you a few more of my tricks," he said. I smiled. "I look forward to that," I said. He wrapped an arm around me and pulled me close. I relaxed in my beloved's arms and closed my eyes. We lay lazily in the sun soaking up it's warm rays like two contented cats.

After a while, Kurama nuzzled me affectionately. "You know, you're quite vocal in bed," he murmured. "We're going to need to get another place, with no nosy neighbors around so I can make you moan and scream as much as I want," he purred. The tone of his voice sent shivers down my spine. There was no mistaking the undertone of desire.

I voiced my agreement with a soft sound and he smiled. "We can start looking once we've finished lunch. After a workout like that, I think we deserve a little something to eat," he said I gave a murmur of agreement. I got up and gathered our clothes as Kurama began unpacking the picnic lunch he had packed. We dressed and then sat down to eat.

Kurama held one of the delicious looking morsels to my lips and I opened my mouth , allowing him to feed me. I did the same, feeding him some of the delicious food. Kurama smiled and took the food from my hand giving my fingers a mischievous lick as he pulled back. He gave me a flirtatious wink and smiled. I had a feeling life with him was going to be more interesting from now on.

Several days after my intimate encounter with Kurama, I began to feel strange. Unsure of what might be causing it I decided to pay Yukina a visit to see if she could discover the cause. Yukina was inside having tea when I arrived. "Hello, Hiei-san," she greeted cheerfully.

Suddenly I began to feel lightheaded. The room seemed to spin. "Are you alright Hiei-san?" Yukina asked. I didn't get a chance to reply. I began to fall to the floor as unconsciousness swiftly overtook me.

When I awoke, I was lying on a soft bed. Yukina was sitting beside the bed, a worried expression upon her pretty face. "Are you alright Hiei-san?" she asked. "I think so," I replied She looked relieved. "Kurama-san is on his way," she said. I sighed, now the fox would fret over me all evening.

"Hiei-san, why didn't you tell me you are my brother?" I looked at her in shock. She gently reached out and touched the two tear gems that hung from my neck. "I thought you would be better off not knowing the truth," I said. Yukina sighed and smiled softly. "You're the only family I have left. I'm glad to know that the brother I've been searching for is alive and that not all my family is gone," She replied. I closed my eyes. I hadn't thought of it that way. She hadn't known if I was alive or not all these years. She must have felt alone in the world not sure if she even had any family left. I felt guilty. Even if she wasn't glad to know that I was her brother, at least she would have known her brother was alive and well, and that the last of her family was not lost to her. "There are many reasons why I didn't tell you who I really was," I told her. Yukina touched my hand gently and my eyes fluttered open. "I'm just glad my search is over," she said softly then kissed my cheek.

"You do realize that you cannot let those frigid women know that you have found me when you go back," I said. Yukina looked at me in surprise. "Didn't Kurama-san tell you?" she asked. "Tell me what?" I inquired. "I'm not going back. I decided I'd rather stay here with Genkai and be with my friends," she replied. "and now that I know my brother is here there's no way I would want to leave," she added with a smile.

I sat up and the reason for my passing out was suddenly all too clear to me. I cursed under my breath. "It's happened again," I hissed. "What's happened again?" she asked. "Something that happened on our last mission. I think that vixen put some sort of spell on me or something," I told her. Before I could stop her she put a hand to my chest and firmly pushed me back to lie down. With a frown she pressed once again and a blush colored her fair face.

"That's no spell," she said, looking sheepish as she pulled her hand away from my chest . "Do you know the secret of the ice maidens, brother? The reason they don't need a man to bear daughters?" she asked. "No," I answered honestly. "During the night of the full moon some are able to become male, at least until sunrise. In your case however it seems to be the opposite," she told me. "But why did it start _now_?" I asked her. "It might be because of your relationship with Kurama. The two of you are getting quite serious now aren't you?" she replied. I nodded, understanding what she was getting at. The physical part of my relationship with my fox might be the trigger of my gender change

"Yukina, is this going to happen every time Kurama and I get _close_?" I asked her. She blushed, picking up on what I was asking right away. "I'm not sure, but tonight _is_ the full moon. Perhaps, this is the true beginning of your cycle. After all, you've come to view Kurama-san as a potential mate by now right?" she replied. "If he wanted me as his mate I would gladly accept," I responded. "Normally this only happens to couples who have been mates for years, or who become mates after being in a very close relationship, like yours with Kurama," she informed me. It sounded as good an explanation as any. I just wondered how Kurama would take the fact that I would sometimes become female. He seemed to not mind back in Kiyoshi, but now that it seemed that the change would be regular occurrence I hoped he would still feel that way.

I laid back and met her gaze. "You're not angry?" I asked. "Angry that you didn't tell me the truth, that you are my brother?" she inquired. "Yes," I replied. "No, I'm not angry. Whatever your reasons, I'm sure you had good intentions. But, now that I do know must you still keep it a secret?" she responded. "Yukina, if word should get out that you are my sister, someone may come after you just to get at me. I don't want to risk you getting hurt because of me," I told her. She sighed and nodded in understanding. "What of our friends? Surely, we can tell them," she inquired. "Yusuke and Kurama already know. Koenma told them and Botan knows as well. The others I'm not sure if they know or have guessed already but I don't see any harm in telling them," I replied. "But why didn't they tell me?" she asked. "I asked them not to. I wanted to be the one to tell you," I replied. Yukina nodded in understanding then kissed my cheek before leaving me to rest. I closed my eyes and soon drifted into slumber.

When I awoke, I was no longer in Genkai's temple. I was in my bed, the one I shared with Kurama. The fox was not in the room, but I could hear sounds coming from the kitchen, and the smell of food wafted through the air reminding me that I had not eaten since breakfast. I got up and left the bedroom. Kurama saw me leave the room due to the fact that the kitchen and dining room were only separated by a half wall, with no separation at all between the living room and dining room.

"Are you feeling better love?" he asked. "I'm fine," I assured him as I sat down at the dining table. "You passed out, I'd hardly say that you were fine," Kurama said as he brought two plates to the table. "What happened to me in Kiyoshi has happened again," I told him. Kurama thought about my words for a moment before his eyes widened. "You're female again?" he asked. I nodded. "Apparently, an ability I inherited from my mother's side," I told him. "How did you find that out?" he inquired, genuinely curious now. "Yukina told me," I said as he set my plate in front of me. "Apparently it's the secret way the ice maidens reproduce without men," I continued. He sat down and set his plate in front of him. "So then she knows that you're her brother?" he asked. I nodded and began eating. He smiled. "And you couldn't be happier," he smirked. I glared at him half heartedly. He'd been telling me for years to just tell Yukina the truth, that she would not reject me. This was his way of saying "I told you so," without actually saying it.

After dinner, I helped Kurama with the dinner dishes and went to take a shower. When I was done I began rifling though the drawers for something to wear for the night that would properly cover my female form. Finding nothing, I went into the living room where Kurama had been studying for one of his college classes to ask him for one of his shirts to wear to bed. With one towel wrapped securely around my body, I continued toweling my hair dry as I entered the room.

"Woah, Kurama who's the babe?" I heard Yusuke ask. "Won't Hiei be pissed at you for having a girl here?" he questioned. I smirked, knowing that the towel I was drying my hair with had hidden my face, though the towel around my body did not hide my new feminine curves. I let go of the towel I was drying my hair with to let it fall over my shoulders. "Urameshi, that _is_ Hiei!" Kuwabara exclaimed from his seat next to Yusuke. Yusuke jumped and his eyes widened in shock . Both the detective and the oaf were completely speechless. That alone would be worth the explanation and the teasing to come.

"How the hell did _that _happen?" Yusuke asked. "It's an ability I just recently discovered I have," I replied. " So, _that's_ how you defeated Leiko," Kuwabara said. "Is it permanent?" the tall carrot top wanted to know. I shook my head. "I should be back to normal tomorrow," I answered. "Too bad man, you look good as a girl," Yusuke commented. I raised my eyebrow. I gave Kurama a mischievous glance. His lips lifted in the tiniest of smiles, a sure sign that he was ready to help me out in whatever mischief I planned against Yusuke. "I'm flattered by your complement detective, but I doubt my boyfriend would appreciate you flirting with me," I responded. Kurama put a possessive arm around me. Yusuke's eyes widened at the serious expression on my fox's face. Yusuke held up his hands. "I'm not after Hiei man, I'm married to Keiko remember," he said. Kurama chuckled, his eyes shining with mirth. "Relax Yusuke, I'm well aware that you're not after what's mine," he said. "You needed me to watch Kimi so you can take Keiko out for dinner right?" he asked. "Yeah, I'll go bring her up," Yusuke replied. Kuwabara stood. He looked at me for a moment. For a heartbeat, a look of shock passed over his face. He shook his head, obviously in disbelief. "Is something wrong Kuwabara?" Kurama asked. "No, I just thought I saw something. Must have been a trick of the light," Kuwabara replied. He smiled softly. "Must be studying too much, I'm starting to see things," he said then headed for the door. "I'll see you guys later," he said. Yusuke left as well. "Do you get the feeling there's something he's not telling us?" I asked. "Perhaps he _did_ see something but didn't realize it," Kurama said. I shrugged. "Come on, let's find you something to wear," he said and led me into the bedroom.

As he began looking through the dresser drawers, I sat on the bed watching him intently. He turned back toward me with one of his longer t-shirts in hand. "Here, you can wear this with your shorts," he suggested as he handed it to me. I took it and studied him for a moment. "Is something on your mind?" Kurama asked. "Does it bother you that this isn't just a one time thing?" I asked gesturing toward my female form. "Why should it? You're still you no matter which gender you are," he replied. He smiled softly and kissed my lips. I did not hesitate to return the kiss, glad that he was fine with my strange new ability. He smiled at me. "In fact, I'm looking forward to exploring this new form of yours," he said with a seductive purr. I felt my cheeks redden. Kurama just gave me a quick peck on the lips and retuned to the living room.

A warm gentle kiss was placed upon my cheek, then another upon my lips. My eyes fluttered open. Kurama smiled at me and kissed my lips again. "Good morning Darkfire," he greeted. "Morning Fox," I replied. "Happy Anniversary," he purred softly. I smiled, a year ago to the day we had began our courtship and it had been the happiest year of my life. I kissed him lovingly and murmured "Happy Anniversary," "It looks like we'll be spending our special day with our friends, it's moving day you know," Kurama said. I hadn't forgotten. We had bought a home in a quieter part of town. It was a rather large home on a spacious lot that had no neighbors directly to either side of us. Perfect for our needs. Though I didn't mind that we would be spending the day of our anniversary moving into our new home with our friends I hoped that we would be spending the evening alone.

Kurama glanced at the clock. "We'd better get up and pack up the last of our things before the others arrive," he said. We got out of bed and removed the bedding packing it away to be washed when we had the chance. We showered and dressed next before having a quick breakfast and packing up the last of our things. By the time we had finished Yusuke and the others arrived. Soon after our friends had arrived the moving men we'd hired showed up as well and the move began.

As the last of our things went out the door I took one last look around the apartment we had called home for a year. Though I would miss the place, I looked forward to my new home with my fox. Once sure we had left nothing behind, I shut the door for the last time, ready to move on.

While the moving men set up the furniture in the various rooms under Kurama's direction, I helped Yusuke and Kuwabara lug in the boxes of items we had packed. The girls sorted out some of the items in the boxes, placing them in the logical places. By the time our friends bid us goodbye, everything but our clothing and more personal items had been unpacked and put away for us. I started to open one of those boxes, which had been all carried into the bedroom, but Kurama placed a gentle hand on my arm, stopping me. "You've done enough for today love. Why don't you take a nice hot shower while I unpack these. Then we can have a nice dinner," he suggested. I agreed to his suggestion heading into the adjoining bathroom. I was glad to see he had already unpacked and put away the toiletries, towels and washcloths. I gathered what I needed and began my shower. The spray of hot water felt good against my tired muscles. I closed my eyes enjoying the sensation. A moment later, Kurama tapped at the door and then entered with some clothing. I opened my eyes and he smiled, taking a quick glance at my nude form. "Mind if I join you?" he asked. "You know I don't," I replied. Kurama's smile grew even wider. He stripped and joined me, taking the washcloth from me to bathe me. I let him, secretly enjoying it when he did things like this. I had expected him to begin his sensual kisses and caresses, but surprisingly he did not. He simply washed my hair and bathed my body. Apparently, he had other plans. Taking a cue from him, I washed his hair and bathed him without teasing touches. When we had finished our shower I dried us off using my energy. Kurama dressed, a smile upon his lips. "I ordered dinner from that restaurant you like," he informed me. "We'd better hurry before it gets cold," he said. I quickly dressed and followed him downstairs to the dining room.

The table was set much like it had been on our first date and I smiled, recalling the memory of that wonderful night. Kurama directed me to sit as he hurried over to the oven where he had apparently placed the food on his good plates. He brought two plates laden with food to the table. He set one in front of me and the other in his place across from me. The meals were the same we'd had on our first date. Kurama smiled at me, knowing I had realized this.

We ate our dinner without much chatter, feeding each other morsels of our meals. Soft music played on the stereo in the living room, adding to the romantic atmosphere the candlelight provided. When the meal was over Kurama gave me a devilish smile as he took our plates into the kitchen. When he returned he held out his hand to me. I took it and he pulled me to my feet. His lips met mine in a loving and passionate kiss. I eagerly responded, loving the feeling he gave me when he kissed me like that. Our kisses became more heated as we exchanged them, the passion between us already ignited and beginning to blaze with an all encompassing heat that would not be denied. We broke off our kisses. Kurama took my hand and together we headed to our new bedroom.

We christened our new bed as we worshipped one another's bodies with kisses and caresses. Our moans and sighs of pleasure rang throughout our home as we brought pleasure to one another and received pleasure from one another. When at last our desire was sated Kurama held me close to him, a smile upon his handsome face.

I decided it was time to give him my gift. I slipped out of his embrace and padded over to my discarded pants and pulled a small black box from my pocket. I returned to the bed and held it out to my beloved. Kurama's eyes widened. "Happy anniversary fox," I said. He took the box from my hand and opened it. He gasped in surprise. "Hiei, this is beautiful," He murmured. I smiled, glad that he was pleased with my gift. It was a gold necklace, it's pendant one of my tear gems. Around the gem was a fox with a rose in it's mouth on the right and on the left, a dragon. Kurama caressed the two figures then leaned forward and captured my lips in a loving kiss. "Put it on me, please?" he requested. I took the box from him and slipped the necklace out of it as he turned his back. I slipped the golden chain around his neck, making sure the pendant was flat against his chest and fastened the clasp. "Thank you," he said as he turned to face me once again. He gave me another tender kiss and smiled.

A heartbeat later the smile faded and he actually looked nervous. Alarm bells went off in my head. What could he possibly be nervous about? He opened the drawer of his bedside table and pulled out a small black box. He held it out in front of me. "Hiei, I love you," he said softly. "I love you too fox," I replied. He smiled. "Will you be my mate?" he asked as he opened the box to reveal a beautiful gold ring, adorned with a single brilliant diamond. I stared at him in surprise. As Sakura, I was his mate, and now he wanted me to be his mate once again.

" I'm honored that you would choose me to be by your side, but are you sure you want _me_ to be your mate?" I asked. "Yes," Kurama said. "I want no one else," he said earnestly. His eyes held no deceit. His eyes showed all his emotion. There was fear, and hope but love outshone them both. I knew that once I agreed I would be his completely, but it hardly seemed any different than before. I had given him my heart a year ago and shared my body with him moments ago. I felt I already belonged to the fox and he to me. I smiled softly. He had been afraid that I would reject his offer, but he needn't have been afraid. I loved him too much to live without him.

"I am already yours fox. If you wish to make it official then so do I," I agreed. Kurama took the ring from the box and slipped it upon my finger. He pressed his lips to mine in a loving kiss. I responded eagerly, kissing him with as much love and emotion as I could.

When we broke away we were both smiling.

"Hiei, would you mind if we had a wedding?" he asked. I raised my eyebrow, most demons didn't have a ceremony for taking a mate, so a wedding was not something that was often seen where we came from. I thought about it for a moment, it would make becoming Kurama's mate a special ordeal, and since I had very few memories of my past lives I did not know if we had had such a ceremony before. Besides, it was clear that Kurama greatly desired to have a wedding and I would not deny him that.

"When?" I asked. "How about a year from today?" he answered. I nodded in agreement. Kurama smiled. "That will give us time enough to make plans for the wedding and the honeymoon," he said. "Honeymoon?" I asked. His smile turned wicked. "A human tradition that sounds quite enjoyable. After the wedding the newly married couple go on a trip to be alone with each other and consummate their vows. Similar to what we just did," he replied . My cheeks warmed and I knew I was blushing. "We'll have to do this more often then," I murmured as I caressed my new fiancé intimately. "I want to learn what gives you pleasure most so that on our fist night as mates _I _can make you scream _my _name," I said huskily. Kurama's wicked smile turned absolutely devilish. "Oh, really? Well my love, now that we're out of that apartment, we'll be able to discover what pleases one another. There's a few things I'd like to try myself, if you're willing," he purred. "I look forward to it," I said, meaning every word.

Kurama pulled me close and put his arms around me. I relaxed in his embrace and held up my hand, looking at the ring upon my finger. I had promised Kurama that in a year, I would be his mate. It seemed surreal, as if some pleasant dream. I knew it wasn't and that old fear that I would lose the happiness I had found returned with a vengeance. Kurama's mother and stepfather had been understandably shocked when they discovered that we were dating. Fortunately, things turned out well. Shiori and her husband had come to look upon me as another of their sons, his stepbrother had even taken a liking to me as well. The fox's family had become my family too. Would all that end when Kurama told them about our engagement? Or would they come to accept it as they had our relationship?

The next day was Sunday. As usual Kurama and I headed to his family's home for dinner. Shiori greeted her son with a hug and a kiss on the cheek, which he returned. I received the same greeting and without hesitation returned it. "Would you boys give me a hand in the kitchen?" Shiori asked as Kurama and I removed our shoes at the door. "Of course Mother," Kurama said. We followed her into the kitchen where the wonderful scents of various foods was the strongest. "Shuichi, I need you to take that one into the dining room for me," she said motioning toward one of the larger serving dishes. "Hiei, dear, please take that one," she requested, motioning to the serving dish next to the one she asked Kurama to take.

As I reached out to pick it up I heard Shiori gasp softly. Fearing something was wrong I turned to look at her. "What's wrong Mother?" Kurama asked. "Hiei, is that an engagement ring?" Shiori asked. For a heartbeat I didn't know what she meant, but then with a sinking feeling, I realized that I'd forgotten to remove it before we'd arrived like I'd intended. I didn't want to cause any trouble and since Kurama hadn't mentioned telling his family about our engagement I thought it would be best if they didn't see the ring just yet.

"Yes, it is," I said softly. Kurama turned so that he was fully facing her. He gently grasped my hand and intertwined his fingers with mine. "I know this isn't what you envisioned when you thought of my getting married but Hiei is the one person I wish to spend the rest of my life with," Kurama said. Shiori smiled softly. "Shuichi, the one thing I've always wanted most was for you to be happy. True, I never envisioned you marrying another man, but Hiei has made you very happy and you he. Though, I may not be gaining a daughter in law, I will be gaining a wonderful son in law who I know will love you and cherish you as much as you love and cherish him and that makes _me_ very happy," Shiori responded. She placed her hand upon my shoulder. "Now that you'll officially be part of the family, I hope you won't mind calling me Mother, like the rest of my boys from now on," she said.

I was relieved and yet shocked, that she approved of our impending marriage. I was even more shocked that she wanted me to call her mother. It was fitting. She had definitely treated me like one of her sons once she had gotten over the shock of discovering that Kurama and I were more than close friends. Somewhere, along the way I had come to regard her as a surrogate mother of sorts. Having lost my own mother, she had become the mother I wished I'd had. Now, in a way she was. I smiled gently. "I would be honored to," I said. Shiori smiled back and hugged me tight. Kurama smiled as I slipped my hand from his to embrace her. The worst of my fears had been put to rest. Kurama's family had actually been glad to hear the news. The warmth of my fiancé's arms enveloped me and a soft kiss upon my cheek made my smile widen. In all my wildest dreams I would have never believed that I of all people would have found love, nor would I have ever thought I would have friends or family and now I had all three. For the first time in my life I felt completely content. I leaned my head back and Kurama kissed my lips gently. Yes, my life couldn't be better and I wouldn't let anything ruin that happiness now that I had found it. I hoped that I would remain Kurama's mate throughout this life and into the next, in a love that was truly everlasting.


	11. Chapter 10

Love Everlasting

Part 5: Full Circle

I looked at my reflection one last time in the mirror. The white suit I had dawned still looked as good on me as when I had tried it on in the store. As I adjusted the tie, I couldn't help but feel anxious. In just a few moments I would be leaving this room and heading out to the garden where I would be married to Kurama. I had no second thoughts. I just found it so hard to believe that the man I loved would soon claim me as his mate and I him. It seemed like a dream.

A knock at the door broke me from my thoughts. "Are you almost ready brother?" Yukina asked. I went to the door and opened it. She smiled at the sight of me. "You look wonderful," she complemented. "Let's go, you don't want to keep Kurama-san waiting," she said.

We headed out of the building to the garden where the wedding would momentarily begin. Yukina kissed my cheek and headed into the garden from the main entrance to join the others. I continued on to one of the two side entrances. I could feel Kurama's energy on the other side of the garden and I couldn't help but smile.

Soon the music began to play from inside of the garden as my cue to enter. I walked slowly though the entrance and down the aisle. Although the garden was radiant due to the help of Kurama's friends and family from Kiyoshi, my attention was on my handsome fox. He too wore a white suit, looking like a modern day fairy tale prince. I nearly smirked at the irony of that since Kurama was in fact a prince. His father, Yutaro had become the ruler of Kiyoshi shortly after Kurama had left the clan following Sakura's death. As Yutaro's eldest, Kurama was next in line to rule.

We marched slowly toward each other, linking arms as we met in the center aisle. One of the priestesses from Kioyshi waited patiently as we marched toward her and stopped a short distance from her. She smiled softly at us and the ceremony began.

"Kurama, Hiei, you come before me today to join yourselves as mates with your loved ones as witnesses to the vows you are about to make to one another," The priestess began. "Kurama, have you chosen Hiei as your lifemate, to be your partner, your mate for as long as you live?" the priestess asked him. "I have," Kurama answered his eyes shining with pride as he smiled at me. "Then do you pledge your love and loyalty to him before these gathered here?" the priestess asked. "I do," Kurama answered simply. "Do you also vow to be faithful to your chosen lifemate, taking no other as a lover?" she asked. "I do," Kurama agreed. "Having professed that he is your chosen lifemate and pledging your love, fidelity and loyalty to the one beside you, present to him the token of your vows," the priestess instructed. Kurama fished a golden ring from his pocket. Carefully he took my hand and slid the ring onto my finger.

The priestess then turned her attention to me. "Hiei, Kurama has chosen you as his lifemate and has vowed his love, loyalty, and faithfulness to you. Do you accept his token and his vows?" she asked. Kurama's eyes met mine and I couldn't help but smile. "I do," I answered. "Then do you Hiei choose to be Kurama's lifemate, to be his partner, your mate for as long as you live?" The priestess asked. "I do," I answered. "Will you also pledge your love and loyalty to Kurama as he has to you?" she continued. "As he has vowed his love and loyalty to me I vow mine to him," I answered. "Do you also vow to be faithful to your chosen lifemate, taking no other as a lover?" she asked. "I do," I answered. "Then, having professed that you have accepted Kurama's vows and that you choose to be his lifemate, and pledging your love, fidelity and loyalty to the one who's token you have received, present to him the token of your vows," the priestess instructed. I reached into my pocket and took out the ring I'd had made for Kurama. I took his hand with mine and slipped the ring onto his finger. "Kurama, Hiei has chosen to become your lifemate and has vowed his love, loyalty, and faithfulness to you. Do you accept his token and his vows?" the priestess asked him. "I do," Kurama answered

The priestess turned her attention to the audience. "I charge you all who have witnessed the vows these two have made to remind them of these vows should either of them forget or are tempted to break them," the priestess said. "With vows and tokens exchanged your lives are now intertwined and joined as you now venture forth no longer as two but as one. May your choice bring you great joy and little sorrow. May you stay true to your vows even if tempted to break them and may your life together be a long and happy one. Seal your pact before all gathered here and be joined as lifemates," she concluded.

Kurama didn't hesitate to pull me to him for a heart stopping kiss. I looked at him with wide eyed surprise, taken aback by the sheer passion in his kiss. He smiled roguishly at me and spurned me on with the challenge in his eyes, daring me to return such a kiss with one of my own. I closed the distance between us and pressed my lips to his in a loving caress, trying my best to simply tell him that I loved him with the single gesture. I could tell he was as surprised at the gentleness of my kiss as I had been by the passion in his.

The audience applauded as the priestess pronounced us lifemates. Kurama and I turned to face our cheering friends and family and exited the garden hand in hand. My heart beat wildly. The ceremony was over and it was official, Kurama was now my lifemate, my husband and I his. After a year of planning, implementing and anticipation we had taken our vows. I could hardly believe it wasn't a dream, but Kurama gentle squeeze of my hand and the cool feel of the ring on my finger reminded me that I wasn't dreaming, but I was living my dream.

* * *

The sound of the waves crashing upon the shore greeted my ears. Ahead of us was a house. Kurama smiled as we continued along the path to the house. He stopped me once we got to the front door. He opened the door then scooped me up in his arms and carried me into the house. "I _can_ walk you know," I said. Kurama chuckled. "Just indulge me," he said as several of his luminous plants awakened lighting the room in a dim glow. He carried me all the way to the bedroom where he gently set me upon the bed.

Kurama claimed my lips in a warm kiss, which I eagerly returned. He pulled back after a moment with a smile. "Why don't we freshen up a bit?" He suggested as he began undoing the buttons on my shirt. "Something tells me you've got more on your mind than that Fox," I murmured as I reached to undo the buttons on his shirt. "As do you," he murmured as he nibbled along my neck following the path the unbuttoning of my shirt was creating. I fumbled with his buttons as his lips reached my chest, torturing my sensitive flesh with hot, feather light kisses. I managed to get his shirt unbuttoned as he freed me of mine.

Kurama's hungry gaze was upon me as he pulled back. "I could use a shower, why don't you join me?" he suggested as he backed away. I rose from the bed as he turned and headed for the adjoining open door. I heard water running as I stepped through the open door. Kurama had started the water in the tub and was checking the temperature. A moment later he switched on the shower and began removing his pants. I followed suit, eagerly anticipating what was to come.

Kurama tossed his discarded clothing into a basket near the tub. I did the same, watching as he stepped into the shower. Kurama stepped into the warm spray and reached out his hand to me. I took it, joining him in the shower. He took the soap and after lathering his hands he began to wash me. He started with my neck, massaging the muscles there before moving onto my shoulders, back and arms. I took a deep breath as he began rubbing the soap onto my chest. We had discovered that was a sensitive area on me, and one of my major erogenous zones.I leaned against him as he reached my nipples, teasing me as he ran his fingers along the colored rings of flesh. A soft moan escaped my lips and I felt Kurama's lips brush my cheek as my eyes slid closed. He teased my chest a bit longer before sliding his hands down my sides. I opened my eyes as his hands lifted from my body altogether.

A moment later his hands were on me again, this time on my hips. He slid his hands down along my legs and then up again caressing my inner thigh. I could feel the need growing within me with each gentle stroke and touch of his hands and I couldn't help but wish that his hands would caress one place in particular, one he had been avoiding.

His hands ghosted along my body again, caressing, teasing, fueling the fire he had started within me. Finally, his fingers brushed my sex. A moan escaped my lips as he used his hands to bathe me there as well. He was playing my body like a well tuned instrument, and it was one he was a master at playing. His touch was like heaven, and though I was well aware that I was at his mercy, I did not care, for I knew that surrendering to him would yield me the pleasure I so loved and desired.

A whimper of protest escaped my lips as his hands lifted from me, I opened my eyes and turned to look at him, confused. He smiled gently and brushed his lips against mine. "Don't worry Darkfire, I'll take care of you soon enough," he promised huskily. "We have to finish bathing first," he said as he placed the soap in my hands. For a moment I didn't understand, but it quickly dawned on me that he wanted me to bathe him, it was my turn to make him hot and bothered.

I started as he had, on his neck, shoulders and back, before moving on to his arms and chest. I washed his stomach first then moved up to his pectorials, gently caressing the soft skin. Slowly, I ran my fingers over the colored rings around his nipples, smiling as I felt my husband quiver against me as I worked his nipples into hardened nubs.

I moved downward washing his hips and outer thighs before moving down his legs and back up his inner thighs. I turned him to face me as I knelt there between his legs. His impressive manhood was erect and just begging to be tasted. Surprisingly, Kurama stopped me. It was as though he knew what I was thinking, but had something else in mind. He placed his hand gently upon my shoulder as he reached behind him to turn off the water. "Let's go to bed," He murmured. I blinked at him in surprise. "You want to sleep?" I asked him in disbelief. Kurama chuckled. "I guarantee you we won't be sleeping, not for a while anyway," he replied as he stepped out of the shower.

I stood and stepped out of the shower as well, wondering what my fox had in store for me. I knew that he wanted to make our first night together as lifemates special, but he had kept his plans for this night a secret from me, saying only that I would enjoy it.

I placed my arms around him and using my energy, I dried us off. Kurama smiled and gave me a kiss in thanks. However, this wasn't one of his usual warm kisses. It was one of his heart stopping, toe curling kisses that always fueled my desire for him. I kissed him back, trying to convey my desire for him, my love for him in that kiss. He was still smiling as he broke the kiss and took my hand. His eyes had a glint I only saw before I ended up writhing beneath him as he kissed and caressed me into a pleasure induced haze, but somehow it was different this time. His gaze was even hungrier than usual, almost feral.

As soon as we were out of the bathroom, Kurama once again scooped me up into his arms. This time I didn't even say a word as he carried me to the bed and gently laid me down. He stepped back and I watched as his eyes slowly looked me over from head to toe in a single glance. He climbed onto the bed beside me and leaned close, closing the distance between us. "You're beautiful," he murmured. I could feel the heat rushing to my cheeks. Even though he had told me this several times, the complement still made me blush. "_You're_ the beautiful one Kurama," I murmured in reply as I took in his nude form. He smiled and kissed me long and hard.

Kurama kissed his way from my lips to my throat, down to my chest. I moaned softly as his lips gently brushed my right nipple. His warm tongue ghosted across the sensitive flesh, teasing me just before he placed his lips around it to nip, suck and lick it into a hardened pebble. Once he had completed that task he gently blew on it making me shiver with pleasure. As he moved on to the left side, I wasn't sure how much more of his teasing I could endure. He continued his heavenly torture on the left nipple, making my body hum with pleasure before trailing kisses down my abdomen and taking my sex between his lips.

I was so lost in my pleasure induced haze that I didn't even realize that Kurama had began to prepare me for our joining until he hit that spot within me that made me cry out in ecstasy. With each stroke, he brought me closer to my completion, but just when I neared the peak of my pleasure, Kurama withdrew. I opened my eyes to look at him as he moved to lie on his side beside me. His green eyes were locked on mine. "Darkfire, are you sure you want me to take you tonight?" he asked softly.

I looked into his eyes and reached out to caress his cheek. "We've already talked about this Fox, and we both agreed that tonight would be the night," I replied. "I just wanted to make sure that this was still what you wanted," he said. "I'm not having any second thoughts Fox," I assured him. Kurama, looked relieved. "In that case, do you mind if I don't switch forms? I think it'd be a good idea for you to get used to making love this way before we try in my true form," he suggested. "I don't mind if you remain in your human form," I assured him. "I just want you to claim my body as you have my heart. Make me yours _body_ and soul," I murmured. "As you wish," he replied.

Slowly, carefully, he entered me. Time seemed to stop as our bodies joined for the first time. For a few moments neither of us moved, it was clear that Kurama was waiting for me to become accustomed to the intrusion. Carefully, he moved his hips, withdrawing a bit before pushing back in, making me moan with delight at the new sensation.

We made love slowly, enjoying the new sensation of our bodies joined as one until we reached the peak of our pleasure, crying out one another's names as we climaxed together. Kurama rolled us so that I was lying atop him. I closed my eyes as I laid my head upon his chest, completely sated and content. "That was amazing," I murmured to him. I felt Kurama's arms wrap around me in a warm embrace. "I'm glad I didn't disappoint you," he said. I chuckled at his remark, which had mirrored my own fear. "I don't see how that could have happened," I replied. "I figured _I'd_ be the one to disappoint _you_," I confessed. Kurama reached up and gently stroked my hair. "You didn't," he assured me. "Good," I replied.

As I lay there enjoying the feel of my mate's embrace, I wondered what it would be like when Kurama made love to me in my female form. Perhaps, Kurama could even be in his true form if he wanted. A smile played upon my lips as I drifted off to sleep with visions of my fox in the nude dancing through my head.

* * *

_One Year Later_

Kurama allowed me to lead him up the path. Blindfolded, to ensure he could not see his surprise before I revealed it to him, I led him to the surprise I had planned for our second anniversary. Once we reached our destination, I reached up and undid the blindfold.

Kurama's golden eyes widened. "Hiei, when did you acquire land in the Makai?" He asked. "It was a gift from Mukuro for my service to her as her second in command," I said. "And the house?" he asked in disbelief as he looked it over. "I used the blueprints from our house in the Human world. I figured it would be nice to have a home to come back to once our time there is over," I replied. He smiled. "So _this_ is where you've been slipping off to," he said. "I wanted to make sure everything was ready for today," I said as I took his hand and we walked up to the front door.

I opened the door and Kurama scooped me up bridal style and carried me over the threshold. I didn't protest this time, knowing it was a human tradition that the fox liked to observe. He set me back on my feet once we had crossed the threshold and kissed me lovingly. "This was a wonderful surprise Darkfire. Thank you," he said. "You're welcome Fox. Happy Anniversary," I replied.

After a light meal and watching the sunset, Kurama nuzzled my neck affectionately. "Hiei Love, why don't we go upstairs now?" he suggested. I shivered in anticipation, knowing what was to come. He took my hand and led me to the bedroom.

I was nervous. In the two years Kurama and I had been married, he had not made love to me in his true form. Since I was in my female form, I decided that I would try my best to get my mate to make love to me in his true form.

As soon as we entered the bedroom, I turned to my mate and removed his shirt. Kurama smiled and reached to untie the belt of the tunic I was wearing. I smirked and slipped away from him. "Come and get me Fox," I teased as I headed for the bathroom. My mate was hot on my heels and hopefully starting to get hot and bothered as well.

I turned on the water in the shower then turned to face my mate as he entered the bathroom. I locked my gaze with his as I slowly removed my clothing. Kurama watched me with hungry eyes.

When I had finished undressing I stepped under the warm water and beckoned Kurama to join me with a look. My mate quickly removed his shoes and pants and joined me under the warm shower spray. We used our hands to bathe one another, drawing out moans and gasps as we caressed each other's bodies. Once we were clean, Kurama turned off the shower and claimed my lips in a hungry kiss that left me weak in the knees as his now soap free hands began to roam my body.

"Bed," I managed to gasp out as Kurama began to nibble at my neck. We stepped out of the shower, kissing caressing and nipping at each other as we made our way out of the bathroom. I dried us with my energy as we left the bathroom. Kurama picked me up into his arms and carried me over to the bed where he gently laid me down. His golden eyes were hazed with lust as he climbed onto the bed.

I ached for his body to be joined with mine. I _needed_ him so badly I felt as though if he didn't take me soon, I would burst. I leaned in to kiss him trying to convey my want, my need to him. He responded with a hungry kiss of his own, letting me know that he needed me just as much.

He broke the kiss and trailed kisses down my neck, down the center of my chest before taking each of my nipples in his mouth and suckling, nipping and kissing them into hardened nubs. He then moved down my abdomen until he reached his ultimate goal, the heated flesh between my legs.

I moaned in ecstasy as he teased my sex with licks and kisses, using his talented tongue and wicked lips to make me writhe beneath him in pleasure, moaning his name. I was too near the peak of my pleasure, he was bringing me too close to the edge without giving me what I wanted most.

"Fox," I murmured. "Take me," I pleaded huskily. Kurama released me from his tortuous loveplay and sat back on his haunches to look at me. I sat up and pulled him to me, capturing his lips in another heated kiss as I brought us both back down to the bed. As I broke the kiss, I turned to flip us over so that I was on top, straddled his hips and carefully guided his hard member to my entrance.

Kurama's eyes widened and a cry of pleasure escaped from him as I slowly descended and my body sheathed him. Distant memories guided me as I rode my mate. Our lips met again in a long heated kiss as our bodies moved to the ancient dance of nature. My body hummed with pleasure as we made love. Our hearts began to beat in time with each other, beating as one. I no longer felt where I ended and my mate began. I could feel what he was feeling and I knew it was the same for him. Our pleasure began to mount to its peak. Our frenzied lovemaking began to increase in pace as we sensed our completion drawing near. I cried out Kurama's name to the heavens as I came. I heard Kurama cry out mine in answer as his seed filled me.

Exhausted and spent I lay down atop my mate. The only sound in the room was our labored breathing as we came down from our pleasure induced high, our mutual desire sated for the moment. "Love you," I murmured as my eyes began to close and I succumbed to the overwhelming desire to sleep. "I love you too," Kurama responded as I drifted off to sleep.

* * *

"Hiei, Love wake up," Kurama murmured as he caressed my cheek. My eyes fluttered open in response to my mate's request. "Sleep well?" Kurama asked. "Very," I replied. "You?" I asked. "I slept quite well after that workout you gave me last night," he answered. I disentangled myself from my mate and moved to lay beside him.

"By the way, what got into you last night? You're not usually so aggressive," he asked as he reached over and pulled the covers over us. "I don't know. I just wanted you," I replied. "I didn't even get the chance to…." He began and his golden eyes grew wide. "What? You didn't get the chance to do what Fox?" I asked him. He sighed and ran a hand through his long silver bangs. "I didn't get the chance to put on a condom," he said softly. I made a face. "I don't like the way they feel on you anyway," I told him. "I know Love, but are we really ready to be parents?" he asked. "Fox, do you honestly think that we'll ever be _ready_ to be parents? If we did conceive last night, it was for a reason," I responded. Kurama reached over and gently caressed my abdomen. "Do you think it happened?" he asked. "Too early to tell isn't it?" I replied. "Yes," he agreed as he moved his hand upward accidentally brushing against my breast. "You're still female," he remarked. I frowned. I usually returned to my male form after a day of being female.

"What if we did conceive?" I thought to myself. "Kurama and I haven't really talked much about having children,"Kurama gently brushed some of my bangs out of my eyes. "What is it Darkfire?" he asked. "Fox, you still do want children don't you?" I asked. "Yes Love, but I don't want to raise them in the Makai. We will bring them here when we visit of course, but I want to raise them in the human world where they can know my human family, Kuwabara, Yusuke and Keiko, even Genkai and Yukina," he said.

I didn't like the idea of raising my children among humans, but since my days as a member of Yusuke's spirit detective team and being romantically involved with Kurama had taught me that humans weren't so bad. Genkai and Kurama's human family proved that point well enough and there was that idiot Kuwabara who willingly risked his own life to help my sister. "Hiei, I don't want to raise our children as humans, but I want them to grow up and go to school here like I have, but we will teach them how to use any abilities they might have, how to defend themselves, and prepare them for life in the Makai as much as possible. After all, we won't live in the human world forever," he said. I could agree to that. The human world was definitely safer to raise any children we might have in than the Makai.

" Are you willing to remain in the human world if we'll soon be starting a family?" he asked. "I honestly don't like the idea of raising our child there but, I know your mother will want to be involved in her grandchild's life, you're not ready to leave her yet either, and you just finished school and will soon be starting your career," I answered. Kurama smiled and kissed my lips. "Thank you," he said and kissed my lips gently. At least one worry was off my mind. Now it remained to see if our joining resulted in a new life.

* * *

_One month later_

I awoke to find my mate had already arisen and was gone. A rose was on my bedside table with a note. I sat up slowly to read it. He had gone to work and would be back in the evening.

My stomach began to churn and I ran to the bathroom. Thankfully my stomach was empty otherwise everything in it would have come up. I decided to lie down and see if the nausea would subside. As I closed my eyes I couldn't help but think about hearing Yusuke talk about Keiko being sick a lot during her first few months of pregnancy. Memories of my former life as Sakura also came to mind and what I was feeling was much like the morning sickness I'd had when I was pregnant in that life.

My eyes flew open as my hand landed to rest on my abdomen. Could I really be pregnant? I frowned. It certainly would explain why I had remained in my female form for the past month. No other explanation had been found for remaining in my female form for so long. Kurama and I had suspected as such, but it had always been too soon to tell. I decided to see my sister once my stomach settled some and see if our suspicions were right all along.

Yukina smiled as I entered the temple. "Hello, brother. How are you?" she greeted. "I've been better," I replied. "Are you ill brother?" "I may be," I replied. "Come inside, I'll look you over," she said. "Perhaps, this time we can find out why you're still in your female form," she said.

She led me to one of Genkai's spare rooms. I laid down on the futon. Yukina knelt beside me and outstretched her hands over me. I felt her spirit energy wash over me as he hands began to glow. Yukina's eyes widened in surprise. "What is it?" I asked. "You're pregnant," she said. I stared at my sister in disbelief. "Are you sure of that?" I asked. Yukina nodded.

I wasn't sure how to take the news. I was glad that I was carrying my mate's child but, I was also afraid something would go wrong. I was unsure of how Kurama would react to the news. I was sure my pregnancy would bring back old fears and memories he would rather not recall. I just hoped he would be happy and that nothing would go wrong.

That evening, I stared at my reflection in the mirror. I couldn't imagine living as a female for the next nine months or more, but I was willing to endure it for the baby I carried. There was no other choice for me anyway. I was not willing to abandon my child. I just hoped Kurama didn't feel it too soon for us to start a family.

Kurama called out to me as he entered the house. I turned away from the mirror and left the bedroom to greet my husband. Kurama smiled and kissed my lips gently. "Sorry I'm so late Love. We had a last minute rush," he said. I took his hand and led him toward the sofa. "What's wrong?" he asked. "I went to see Yukina today. She figured out why I haven't switched from my female form," I told him. Kurama raised an eyebrow. "Am I'm not going to like the reason?" he asked as we sat down.. "I don't know. How do you feel about becoming a father?" I asked him. Kurama's eyes widened. "You're pregnant?" he asked softly. I nodded. "Then we did conceive that night," he murmured softly. "This is sooner than I'd hoped, but I can't help but feel excited," he said. "Do you want to tell everyone right away? " he asked. I shook my head. "Not yet," I replied. "We have plans to make first," I said.

I kissed his lips lovingly. I felt him smile against my lips. "You know, this is what led to events that led to your pregnancy," Kurama said telepathically. "I know," I replied "We'll have to take extra precautions from now on, or we'll end up with a whole litter of kits ," Kurama said. I had to nod in agreement.

* * *

Kurama and I began making plans for the upcoming birth of our child. We decided that Yukina would be the best choice to monitor the baby's progress, but she and Genkai would need assistance when it came time for the birth. Kurama suggested sending word to Kiyoshi for some of the healers to come and assist them with the birth. I agreed.

We waited a few months along before revealing my pregnancy to our friends and family. Yukina examined me every month to monitor the baby's progress, but we weren't expecting the news she gave us when I was four months along. Yukina examined me as usual. I felt her energy wash over me and relaxed as she used her spirit energy to examine me. Her eyes suddenly widened. "What is it?" I asked. "Is the baby alright?" Kurama inquired. "The babies are fine," Yukina said happily. Kurama and I sighed in relief before staring at her in shock. "Babies?" Kurama asked. "Yes, you're having twins," she said. Kurama and I were in shock to say the least, but we were pleased at the news. "They're both healthy?" I asked her. Yukina nodded. I looked to my mate who shook his head in disbelief. "It looks like we'll have to get more baby things," he said. I frowned. "I do _not_ want to spend the rest of the day shopping for baby things," I said, making Yukina and Kurama both chuckle. "Relax Darkfire. There's no need for that. I'll just have to call the store and let them know we want two of everything we picked out the other day," He assured me. I was relieved at that. It amazed me how much stuff you had to buy for a baby and I did not feel up to spending the rest of the day in a baby store picking out blankets and cribs and such. Kurama rose from his chair beside me, kissed my cheek and went to make the necessary phone calls to order the extra baby supplies.

When I had began to show my pregnancy Kurama and I thought it best that we stay at Genkai's. The months couldn't move by quickly enough for me. The larger I grew, the more ready I was for my pregnancy to be over. At last, I reached the last month of my pregnancy and along with my mate anxiously awaited the birth of our twins. Tomoyo and Makino arrived with Sata from Kiyoshi to assist Yukina and Genkai for the birth and along with them came grave news. Leiko had escaped. Yutaro had remained in Kiyoshi to head the search for her. The news put us all on high alert, especially Kurama. He became even more protective of me, rarely leaving my side. He feared trouble would come looking for us and wanted to be ready if and when she showed up.

* * *

Sata sat down in the chair beside the bed, reading a novel as I closed my eyes for a nap. The twins had been kicking quite a bit during the night, waking me several times and I was tired. It was peaceful and quiet around the temple. Kurama had gone into town for supplies leaving me with my sister, Genkai and the vixens. Tomoyo and Makino were with Genkai and Yukina somewhere on the grounds. Sata remained with me. The others would only be gone for a short while anyway, and were close by.

My eyes snapped open when I realized there was a familiar presence approaching. A hissed curse escaped my lips. Sata looked at me. "What's wrong brother?" she asked. "There's someone outside the door," I said. "I don't sense anyone," she said. The door opened and Leiko entered the room.

I could not use my powers because the surge in energy could hurt the twins. Though Sata was strong, she was nowhere near Leiko's level. My only hope was for my mate or one of the others to return or one of Sata's illusions to distract the vixen long enough for Sata and I to get to safety.

Leiko smirked, knowing she had me cornered. "Well, I see the rumors are true," she said. "You've gotten Kurama to claim you as his mate and somehow you've managed to gain the ability to carry his child," she continued. She scrunched up her nose in disgust.

"Brother, let me help you," Sata said telepathically as we both got to our feet. I gave her my wordless consent. I felt Sata's energy wash over me slowly and Leiko's eyes grew wide. "No, I killed you," she cried. "Yet, I am back to claim what is rightfully mine, what you tried to take from me," I heard myself say, but it wasn't my voice it was Sakura's. "I will come back again should you succeed in killing me again," I said, but this time it was Kuronue's voice.

"I don't know how you've managed to come back and steal Kurama from me yet again dear sister, but I'm going to put an end to it," she hissed as one of her leaf blades materialized in her hand. Lieko lunged at me and I moved as quickly as I could to evade her attack. Sata grabbed my hand and together we rushed out of the room. Leiko was on our heels but I knew better than to go outside, the vixen was a master of plant life like my mate. However, I knew that if I got my hands on my sword, I might have a better chance of holding her off until help arrived. I spotted it in the corner and snatched it up, just in time to parry Leiko's strike.

Though my pregnancy had slowed my speed, I was still faster than my foe. This time, I had the upper hand. I fingered the dagger I had given Kurama before we'd gone on our mission to Kiyoshi. He'd loaned it to me for my protection while he was away. I had also had him fill the hollow handle with a deadly poison that would be administered through the blade. Quickly, before she had time to counter my attack. I drew the dagger and plunged it deep into Leiko's chest. Leiko let out a horrid scream as I scrambled away from her. I lost my balance and fell the floor. Sata tackled her to the floor and vines burst through the floor binding Leiko. Kurama sprinted in, looking winded. "Hiei, Sata, are you alright?" he asked. Sata nodded and I opened my mouth to answer but instead I cried out as pain coursed through my abdomen. Instantly, my fox and his sister were at my side. "Sata find the others, I think Hiei is going into labor," Kurama said.

The pain grew more frequent and intense. I was dimly aware of being moved and Kurama gently holding me. Time seemed to rush forward in a breakneck speed as Yukina, Genkai, Makino and Tomoyo came rushing in. As Kurama coached me, I tried to concentrate on my breathing as the pain intensified. Yukina did all she could to ease the pain with her healing powers, while I "pushed " as often as I was asked. By the time Yukina saw the baby's head I was exhausted. "Once more Darkfire." Kurama encouraged. I gathered what little strength I had left and pushed as hard as I could. "It's a boy!" Sata cried gleefully. I heard the wail of my son as Yukina handed him to Makino and Tomoyo.

"Hiei I need you to start pushing again, just like before." Yukina said. I was tired and wanted nothing more than to rest, but Kurama was encouraging me to push again. I felt as though I was completely spent, still I managed to push and just when I thought I couldn't push anymore I heard my sister and my fox spurring me on . "That's it." Yukina encouraged. "Another boy!" she cried out joyfully. Kurama gently kissed my damp forehead. "You did it Darkfire." He said. I smiled weakly at him and closed my eyes. I was too tired to keep them open, all I wanted was sleep.

When I awoke Kurama was sitting beside the bed in the rocking chair. In each arm he held a small bundle. He smiled at me. "Sleep well?" he asked. I nodded. "How do you feel?" he asked as he cautiously got out of the chair. "Tired and achy." I answered. "Feel up to meeting your sons?" he asked. Carefully I took one of the small bundles from his arms. Two tiny white fox ears poked out from the blanket, surrounded by dark hair. "They both have your ears and your tail." I said. ". . . and our firstborn has my hair." He said. I smiled. "Have they been given their names?" I asked. He shook his head. "I thought we should do that together." He said. I nodded in agreement. "I think Kenshin suits our firstborn well," he said. I murmured my agreement. "I guess that means this little one is Kenji then," I said. Kurama smiled. "Yes, it does," he agreed.

Carefully Kurama rose and sat down on the bed beside me. I sat up and gently took my firstborn son from his arms. "What's bothering you Fox?" I asked, noting his sober expression. "You, the twins and Sata could have died today. I should have been here to protect you," he said. "Kurama, there was no way you could have known that crazy vixen would have shown up today. Besides, you did protect me. If it weren't for the poison you made, things wouldn't have turned out so well," I said. Kurama nodded. "You're right. Though I can't help but feel some guilt, you are right," he agreed. What happened to Leiko?" I asked. In all the excitement, she'd been completely forgotten about. "She's dead Hiei, the poison in the dagger did it's work quickly," Kurama said. I sighed with relief. "At least we won't have to worry about her now," I said. Kurama nodded. "I'm just glad you and the twins are safe," he said as he put his arms around me. Kurama gently nuzzled my neck affectionately. "I love you," he murmured. "I love you too Fox," I replied.

* * *

_Two years later…_

I opened my eyes and smiled as I found myself looking into my mate's eyes. Kurama smiled back in return. "Morning Darkfire," he murmured. "Morning Fox," I replied. He leaned in and captured my lips. Our moment of peace was about to be shattered, for I felt the energies of our twin toddler sons nearing the bedroom. A heartbeat later the door swung open as Kenshin and Kenji bounded into the room. Kurama chuckled as the toddlers came around to the bed their tails wagging happily. Kenshin held his arms up to Kurama to be picked up. "Up," he demanded. "Up, Papa, Up," Kenji echoed holding his arms out to me. My mate and I picked up our sons and set them on the bed between us. I watched for a moment as Kurama played with the kits and smiled.

It surprised me how quickly Kurama and I had settled into our new roles as parents. I surprised my mate by quickly taking on the role of primary caregiver for the kits so that he could begin the career he'd studied so hard in college for – a teacher. Though at the moment he only taught the laboratory sections of biology classes at the local college, he'd hoped to be teaching courses at the university level someday. For a few months, I stayed at home and cared for the kits while Kurama worked. Once they were strong enough to be out and about on a regular basis I resumed my work training Koemna's spirit detectives, bringing the kits with me and leaving them in Yukina's care while I worked.

I was happier than I had ever been in my life. I had two wonderful sons and a mate that loved me in not just one lifetime or two but three in a love that I was sure that would truly be everlasting.


End file.
